Merde! French Rapper Sparks Feminist Fury

Lyrics threaten to break lovers arm, legs
By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 30, 2009 5:18 AM CDT

A French musician's rap about beating his girlfriend has so enraged activists that they're lobbying to have him banned from an upcoming rock festival, the Guardian reports. OrelSan sings about a broken arm, broken legs, and a wished-for miscarriage and "slow death" for his lover in his song Sale Pute, or Dirty Slut Women's groups, the Communists and Socialists blasted the song as "incitement to hatred," a criticism echoed by government officials.

"Freedom of expression stops when incitement to violence begins," said one minister. The rapper, whose real name is Aurelien Contentin, has apologized for the song. "I'm sorry if my song shocked," he told Agence France Presse, explaining that the lyrics were part of a created character. "I'm not a misogynist. I've never hit a woman." The rock festival has so far refused to dump its headliner, saying the rap will not be part of OrelSan's performance.
(More music stories.)

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