Next Sunday, France will head to the polls. For the first time since the Vichy government, which collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II, a far-right party could take power. NO PASARAN, twenty rappers have responded to the call of DJ Kore, an emblematic figure in the Hip-Hop movement, to counter the nationalist upheavals shaking the country.
NO PASARAN: Revolt at the Microphone!
The phrase “NO PASARAN” was first uttered in France on April 21, 2002. Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the National Front, predecessor to his daughter’s National Rally, made it to the second round of elections for the first time. Noël Mamère, an ecological presidential candidate, concluded his speech memorably with “NO PASARAN“. In response, millions took to the streets and the ballot box to block the National Front.
This period remains unfamiliar to those under twenty. In 1997, French rappers united in “11’30 against racist laws“ in reaction to the Debré and Pasqua laws, which made life harder for new arrivals in France. Nearly thirty years later, the “Flames of evil” seem to have descended upon France. From controversial statements by Nicolas Sarkozy like “The African man has no place in history“, to provocations from the Le Pen family and racist rants of Éric Zemmour, Jordan Bardella‘s National Rally is well-positioned to seize power in the National Assembly. The struggle is no longer just political; it has become historical. To understand this, consider the statement from Éric Zemmour, founder of Reconquête and also on the far-right, who claims “Rap is a subculture of illiterates“.
NO PASARAN: 20 Rappers Make History!
On the initiative of Ramdane Touhami, DJ Kore, a significant figure in French rap, mobilized twenty rappers from all generations to fight against the National Rally. One by one, they express their rejection of division and racism, including Sofiane, Zola, Kerchak, RK, Soso Maness, Zed, UZI, ASHE 22, Nahir, Mac Tyer, Alkpote, Cokein, Akhenaton, Pit Baccardi, Seth Gueko, Demi Portion, Decimo, Relo, and Costa.
In production, DJ Kore, producer of Zola and founder of AWA label, has also contributed to several collective projects, such as the recent soundtrack for “Taxi 5” and “En Passant Pécho“. Over this bitter instrumental production, images of hatred and a portrayal of an unrecognizable France unfold.
For 9 minutes and 42 seconds, rappers from all generations take turns combating the Front. Long-time figures like Akhénaton and Pit Baccardi, who have fought the Front for decades, join younger artists equally committed to fighting racism, like Sofiane, Seth Gueko, and Demi Portion. A younger generation, sometimes less heard on these issues, such as RK, ISK, UZI, and ZED from 13Block, also mobilizes against state racism.
On Sunday, you know what you have to do.
