Cher Lloyd works with gun rap MC

X Factor sensation vs. come up underground Rap artist. The difference between Cher Lloyd and Ghetts is palpable; as to why the shock of their collaboration became news for topic amongst those of the media world last week. The Sun’s digital editor Carl Stroud had this to say about the pair teaming up; “Cher Lloyd works with gun rap MC…”, “….Ghetts who spent time behind bars as a teenager, released hateful track Trained To Kill last year….” – Mr Stroud even somehow managed to receive an anonymous statement from supposedly an ‘industry source’ claiming “…Ghetts is known as one of Britain’s most hardcore MCs. His lyrics focus on violence and criminality so it’s a real surprise Cowell’s label would want to be associated.” Now let’s try and nip the main issue of concern about this collaboration in the bud here, a black, young, male, Ex Convict features on a track with a female artist who believe it or not has a huge impact on today’s youth musically.

For the small minority that may not be familiar with how Cher Lloyd shot to fame, I will give you a short briefing – she captured the nation with her one in a million rendition of “Turn my Swag on” by Kerri Hilson, it was so popular it put the original version by US rapper Soulja Boy back in the charts. The confidence and unique ability to turn the song into her own that oozed out of this white, young female was all it took for Cher to feature a place in our lives. Whether it is as a fan or ‘hater’ she is still quite an impressionable character. However back to the issues at hand; what Stroud thinks he has intelligently figured out is that this collaboration between a very huge impacting artist and a ‘gangster rapper’ will manipulate mass audiences into indulging in crime and what not. Since the infamous ‘Riots’ of London all we’ve been hearing is that the youth are so angry and countless referrals to rap music being the main influences of what deems to be ‘black’ behaviour. But how about society stops putting the blame onto ‘rap music’ and deals with the real problems head on.

• Poverty
• Racism/Discrimination/Stereotyping
• Educational Systems
• Employment
• More community projects for the youth

and so on, it has just become way to easy to overlook these issues in this ‘Failing Britain’ we are currently living in. Although, I know it may be quite evident that I am a fan of Ghetts, as to why I sit here writing what could be described as his defence statement, I want to be fair and not base my opinion on biased views. So fair enough Ghetts went to prison and no one should condone that as being a positive but there are facts Stroud wasn’t even willing to consider. For instance Ghetts was released from ‘behind bars’ at the tender age of 18, he is now a grown man of 26 so we are talking about a good 8yrs ago past that now has been dragged up to taint his career. Whatever happened to the effects of change is one not allowed to attempt to be a better individual! You would think since he came out of prison Ghetts hasn’t done anything rewarding with his life. Since his release he has put out four mixtapes with his first entitled ‘2000 & Life’, an EP last year and a 2011 album entitled ‘Hurricane Ghetts’. This success will only inspire others who may have come out of similar situations to think if Ghetts can come out of prison and turn his life around, why cant I?

Once again fair enough Ghetts raps about violence and to some his lyrics are explicit, but the reality is that’s life. You only talk about what you are surrounded with and what’s in your environment. What people like Stroud need to realise is not everybody lives a peachy life where nothing bad ever happens, some of us have lived lives where one could not simply imagine. As to why we seek comfort in music, which is often described as the ‘language of the soul’. I couldn’t begin to describe to you how music has become the ‘saviour’ to a person’s life – the allowance of being able to depict your deepest thoughts and emotions in song can be the greatest joy for a musician. It was actually upsetting to see that this collaboration between Cher Lloyd and Ghetts couldn’t be seen as something great to happen in music today. The unity of two different types of artists as well as genres and mass audiences just goes to prove the versatility and power music can hold.

I will leave you with Ghetts’ first mixtape ‘2000 & Life’ below and a video to one of his most controversial songs to date. Don’t let The Sun/Carl Stroud poison our minds over what we know to be a great musician in the music scene after over ten years in the game.

2000 and Life’ features classic tracks such as ‘Simple Minded MC’s’, ‘Line of Work’ and ‘Pride’. Prior to this mixtape not much was known of Ghetto’s affiliations outside East London.

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