An article about French rap music and an accompanying photo caption Nov. 24 incorrectly described the Indian Ocean island Reunion as a French territory. Reunion is a political unit known as an overseas department and is considered part of France proper.
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In France, Anthems of Alienation
Boss 1, from the French territory of Reunion Island, says Marseille's rap artists "try to educate as well as describe."
(By Daniel Williams -- The Washington Post)
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Think how to act in a human way
Never mind the prayers
Or who you pray to.
Religion doesn't mean war.
Like Skar, RPZ immigrated with his parents from Oran, Algeria, where he remembers gangs of youths fighting one another with slingshots. In France, he bounced from school to school. He ran away from home at 13, he said, walked and hitched around the country, exasperated social workers with his belief that the roustabout life was the best education, learned truck driving, gave it up and turned to rap.
These days he sleeps in the studio. "Don't be fooled by the calm here," he advised. "We may seem young, but there are younger ones, and they know about guns and they don't think like us, just like we don't think like our parents," he said.
M'sa Mohamed, a black rapper from the French territory of Reunion Island who goes by the name of Boss 1, was also pessimistic. "In Marseille, since everyone knows everyone, there was a reluctance to go out burning," he said. "Our rap reflects that. We try to educate as well as describe. The politicians could have used us, but they aren't clever enough. Imagine Sarkozy at a rap concert."
"No matter," he continued. "The younger kids, they like tough messages. They won't be held back. The next time, France will pretend to be shocked again, but all it has to do is listen to the music. They'll know what's coming."
