French rapper Monsieur
R has avoided prosecution by the French government for controversial lyrics that
compared France to a s### and the government to Germany’s infamous Third R####.
In the song, FranSSe,
Monsieur R (born Richard Makela) makes reference to relieving himself on Napoleon
and General Charles De Gaulle while repeatedly referring to France as a "b**ch"
that needs to be taken until exhaustion.
The video for the song, which featured images of atrocities in Africa cut with
naked white women playing with the French flag, had been banned from television.
Outraged French
politicians blamed Monsieur R for inciting some of the riots that ended in parts
of Paris suburbs being burned to the ground last November.
Late last year, French MP Daniel Mach brought charges against Monsieur R accusing
him of broadcasting a violent or pornographic message, accessible to those less
than 18 years of age.
Mach also drafted
legislation that would make it a criminal offense to make statements that insult
the dignity of France and the French state.
Makela faced a three-year prison term or a 75,000 euro fine, but the case was
thrown out of court by the presiding judge who indicated that the MP had not
himself suffered any harm and that there were no real victims.
‘The judges have been courageous,” said Dominique Tricaud, lawyer for Monsieur
R. “The judges have been courageous in their judgment because there was
very strong political pressure. Two hundred deputies from the parliament asked
for a special law from the parliament against the rappers. They wanted to kill
the rap in France.”
The ruling marks the latest victory for rappers against French officials.
In 2003, rap band
Sniper was accused of making anti-Semitic and racist music by Nicolas Sarkozy,
France’s interior minister.
While a criminal
case was filed, the case was found to have merit and the case was thrown out.
