We've got 1st amendment rights. They do not. For 7 years, I did not have said rights in a country with a military government. Even as a tot, I knew that there were things you don't say if you life and liberty are important to you. He should know to STFU.

Perhaps my opinion would be different if the lyrics weren't so misogynistic, but whatever.

In reality, this is as absurd as fining a former sex symbol for being racist, homophobic and otherwise offensive. Absurd? Yes. Against it? Not necessarily.

This is nothing new…its not the first time that some thing like this has happened in France. I am a FRENCH HIP HOP ENTHUSIAST..there is no truer for of hip hop. Hip Hop with a message..from Soprano, Kerry James, Tunisiano,Dry, among many more…all representing Africa…
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As I mentioned this always happens…I remember the instance when the group Sniper had the son La FRANCE…they said some pretty real stuff that the government didn't want to heat on the airwaves…They were prosecuted went to court for year but finally went free without jail time.

Another group is NTM arguably the best Hip HOP group in French hip hop history. In the 90;s they had their issues. their had some pretty incendiary remarks in many of their songs…They sold out the Zenith, Bercy, and at the end of their concert the police would be out there waiting to arrest due to their lyrics considered offensive.

These are only 2 groups in massive world of French Hip Hop..I have to say that the dynamics are totally different. The French people do not consider you French if you are black or Arab, even if you are a 3rd or 4th generation French. There is a popular saying in France. "LA FRANCE AUX FRANCAIS"
French rapper have a lot of weight with the youth they are the medium between the Aristocrats and the "other" France as it is called.
Many of you may not believe this but there are so many albums in France that are subject to censure. Thanks to the Internet and the underground those albums are still distributed…

What is happening to Mr. R is pretty common in France. He is not even the most offensive in France. That is just going to help him sell more records. It will also widen the divide between "FRANCE" and the "OTHER FRANCE"..I hope he get out of this mess…

I've been in the States for 9 years and I used to listen to Hip Hop stateside but it took a strange turn in the early 2000's from bling bling to soulja boy…It is hard for me to listen to Stateside hip hop now. Rapper in the states are way off mark. There are so many problem in the African American communities that they an be talking about, making popular records about but you hardly see that. There are a few but it is seldom. There are way too many subject matter to tackle. Way too many…. Would be nice to see a Renaissance of Stateside Hip Hop.

but isn't France a big slut!!! They invented French kissing, after all.

@ Represente:

wow I didn't know that. I've always known that the French were racist, but I didn't know that censorship is huge over there. Makes me grateful to live here in the good ol' States.

I am not French, but I would be offended by Monsieur R's lyrics. This would not fly in Zaire so what makes it acceptable for him to say these things about France. Please spear me the lesson on colonialism, freedom of speech and how Arabs and Africans are discriminated against in Europe; I am all to aware, having lived in Europe for almost most of my life.

All I am saying is that there is another way to get your message across; without having to resort to misogyny,pornography, racism or violence. For instance rappers in Germany got together and formed Brothers Keeper after the brutal slaying of an African immigrant by neo-Nazis. By coming together in solidarity these artists managed to shame the German public, who typically tend to look away from such crimes.

The group was heavily criticized by the German public and media, due to what Germans would perceive to be militant lyrics. However, unlike Monsier R no one could say that the group was undignified or crass.

Brothers Keeper managed to embarrass Germany and force the public to recognize that their is a problem with a society that condones or ignores such crimes. In essence, Monsieur R accomplished nothing other than reinforce every negative stereotype about blacks living in Europe.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xXawL-LFgi8

In essence, Monsieur R accomplished nothing other than reinforce every negative stereotype about blacks living in Europe.
Basically

If someone called by country a slut, I would be pissed too. But how can a country be slut?

My*

"f— her till she’s exhausted"
This outstanding gentleman is apparently saying that he and his pigmented county men must f— France until it's exhausted. Call to violence perhaps? What I do know is that it will bring progress and change the conditions that the colored Frenchies are rising above.

Africa4EVER seems like you havent been in "Zaire" 4 sum time. Nobody calls it that anymore…C'est la RDC. Moi aussi je suis congolais, et Ivoirien, et Liberien, Mais avant tout AFRICAIN.

I've lived in France and would not leave the us to move there because of the freedom I enjoy here. Mr. R is french and disagreeing with the state of gov'ment should land you in jail.

He certainly could have versed it different but listen…Since you know history so well….

L'ile de Goree, La 2eme guerre mondial et les tiralleurs senegalais, algeriens, congolais, Africains…How about la reconstruction de la France apres 39-45…
Just few among many….What the Euros dont seem to understand is that Africans are a fabric of Europe as well.

Excuse the derogative term…and I am in no was disrecpecting women but la a besoin de se faire niker car elle nous a fait trop de tort, a nous et a nos parent. I relate with the anger…

@ RepresenteAfriqueBiCth

Represent- Afrique - BICth says it all. I choose to not associate Africa with anything derogatory including "bicth" (as you choose to spell it). By the way, many Congolese still refer to their country as Zaire.. so please stop the nitpicking and focus on the issues.

You might be able to relate to the anger,and to some extent I do also. But if you really stop and think about it, what has Mr. R accomplished - nothing.

Only simple people resort to vulgarity, people like Mr. M never bring about change.. they make their money off of keeping their listeners angry and misinformed.

Are the lyrics misogynistic? Yes. Does that excuse a clear assault on an individual's freedom of speech? No.

Lacking rights (like a bill equitable to the 1st Amendment) is never a reason to "STFU." I often speak out against racist, sexist, and homophobic speech, but I would never advocate felonies or jail time. Keeping people from speaking is not the same thing as changing the way they think, which is ultimately the goal.

He needs to find a more constructive way to criticize France, like other French rappers like the groups Saïan Super Crew or Psy 4 de la Rime, who have great and nuanced critiques of French society and government.

…a feng shui garden needs native plants and symbols to feed the native landscape…