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  Manage and Syanyde G8 Interview
interview 0318 added 03.07.05 words: The Last Skeptik
technical:
QED
Politics is a contentious subject. Many ignore it,
despise it or
at best try their hardest to not discuss it. Anyone seeming to
have a faint touch of political thought is eagerly gunned down
or labelled as a ‘hippy’ or ‘leftie’. The mass brainwashing of
the public to be apathetic to issues that truly affect them,
causes gigantic knock on effects for important public decisions.
Whether this be asylum seekers or the useless and frankly
freedom inhibiting ID cards; the powers that be sit back and let
their pre-carved zombie mass follow the instructions.
Music is a
powerful tool of the enlightened to wake people up. Throughout
history, artists such as John Lennon, Bob Marley and Chuck D
have spoken to generations, making people think twice about
their spoon fed beliefs. Today, emcees Manage and Syanyde have
taken up the task of expressing their anger towards the G8
summit this year being held on home turf. I caught up with them,
alongside Rob and Kate from Konshus Sounds, who have funded this
politically fuelled and heart felt track…
Explain to people who don’t know – what
is the G8?
 Syanyde: The heads of the 8 richest nations get together on a
nice resort guarded by the military, and sit around, talk about
what else they can do to fuck the world over and laugh at the
people protesting outside that are arrogant enough to demand
outlandish things like rights & democracy.
Rob: High on their agenda is the maintenance of a global climate
of fear, which fuels the ridiculous war on terror. They want
things to remain just how they are: TV, Hyper reality, constant
war, famine and climate chaos. They are well into maintaining
their economic and military dominance over the rest of the world.
“…it seems we're on a course in this country that's going to be
very hard to reverse...”
Why is there such an important need to
protest against it happening?
Syanyde: The G8 is a very good platform for all those issues to
be raised and brought forward, and the media attention ensures a
certain amount of safety for the public that you might not get
with smaller protests. Obviously you have different groups
campaigning and putting pressure on governments at different
times over a range of issues but ultimately these pressure
groups are all fighting against the same system.
Manage: One simple reason is the cost of the G8 summit. I
address this in the song we have done called Riot. The cost of
the G8 summit would be enough to eradicate AIDS in one African
country, such as Malawi.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4073490.stm
 Rob: Every year G8 summits have been met with big protests. In
2001, 300,000 took part in an uprising in Genoa and Carlo
Giuliani was shot dead by the cops (Riot is dedicated to him).
This was before 911 and the global anticapitalist movement
looked like the main threat to the global system of capitalism.
Kate: If we do not protest against what we believe to be wrong
then how will anything ever change for the better? We will all
be wearing a bar code and have a chip in us before we know it.
Your song Riot speaks out against the
G8, how did this come about?
Manage: Well I recently linked up with some people that attend
protests regularly and as they saw me spitting political rhymes
at a jam. They wanted to press a record specifically for the G8
and asked me if I could do it within a week. So I reached for my
phone, called Syanyde and Chemo, and I think 2 days later we had
the track done. There is no fame - we did this for ourselves,
and the increased awareness it will provide for others.
“...Most of all, it's me exercising my freedom of speech...”
What are your favourite other protest
songs (of any genre)?
Manage: Police n Helicopter by John Holt, Bob Marley - Burning N
Looting, Immortal Technique - Bin Laden and Public Enemy’s Fight
the power.
 Kate: Eric Bogle - Waltzing Matilda. The lyrics are so powerful
in telling how much harder it is to survive a war than to die in
it.
Rob: Id have to say Burning and Looting, by Bob Marley, it says
it all really and I love the way its used at the start of that
film La Haine.
What other musicians do you feel speak
out on political issues adequately? Manage: Immortal Technique,
Lowkey, Tragedi Khadafi, Sabac, dead prez, Sizzla, Buju. The
list goes on...
Syanyde: I give props to anybody making political music, at the
end of the day it's not for me to say what's adequate or not, in
this country alone there's 60 million people, thats 60 million
different opinions and views right there so all of them are
right. In an ideal world all of them would be voiced, debated
and prioritised, it's unfortunate that music is one of the only
platforms for people to hear us.
What is your ultimate aim for the track
Riot – what do you want to achieve with it?
Manage: I want to be able to get as many hip hop heads to the G8
summit as possible. There is a lot of emcees dropping political
rhymes in the current climate but never once go to a protest and
stand up for what they believe in. We are even trying to
organise transport for anyone that wants to roll with us up
there free of charge. Its like you either stand up and fight or
lie down and die. So if your rocking all the hip hop clothes,
walking the walk and buying into the whole media package that
hip hop is all about bling, cars, chicks, smoking weed and
acting like a thug, then you need to be woke the fuck up.
There’s a revolution happening right under your nose and you
don’t even know it.
“...you either stand up and fight or lie down and die...”
 Syanyde: For me it's more a warning than outright telling heads
to go break shit. Most of all, it's me exercising my freedom of
speech. If we're gonna be arrogant enough as a nation to start
imposing our illusory idea of democracy on a foreign country
then at least let me say what I have to say. I want to wake the
politicians up and let them realise that we put them in those
jobs, we pay for them & at any time we can pull it away from
them. Very soon when we won't have any avenues left to pursue
and we when react, it’ll get ugly. It really doesn't have to
come to that but it seems we're on a course in this country
that's going to be very hard to reverse. This isn't the kinda
world I want to live and raise kids in. There is absolutely no
reason we should just accept things the way they are.
Kate: I hope that Riot is played and heard by many a person. A
lot of the youth are not going to pick up a leaflet and take the
time to read it, but this track is heavy, it is getting the
message across in a way that they will understand and relate to.
“...There is absolutely no reason we should just accept things the
way they are...”
Rob: I think Riot is a heavy uncompromising tune. Id like to see
it get through to the young estate heads and all those
marginalized and excluded by mainstream society. If it helps to
educate and politicise the ASBO generation, encouraging them to
stand up and fight back, then I will be happy. The 12" features
two tunes [vocal and instrumental – as well as an accapella] by
Manage and Syanyde and two tunes by Excentral The Tempest.
I understand you’ve also done a video
for the track – where can we see it?
Manage: I’m not sure media outlets will support us in this with
such a strong message. You can rule channel U out, they are
scared to play anything that is real. I think our best outlet
with this video is underground magazines, the anarchist circuit
and the internet.
S yanyde: hahaha CDUK sure as fuck ain't gonna spin it, we'll
find a way to get it out to the people.
How did you (Manage) and Syanyde hook
up to do this track?
Manage: We both have similar interests on a political basis and
are both heavy spittaz, so it was only rite we did this.
Syanyde: Manage is one of the few heads I can sit down and
really build with so it was a natural thing.
Manage – you run a night called
Speakers Corner, tell us a bit about it…
Manage: Really and truly Speakers Corner is a community night.
We got open doors for any artist that wants a platform to
perform. The night is based around political meaning and hip hop
combined. Which is why we often invite poets and speakers to
come down and bless us with knowledge. It is a free entry night
too - purely non-profit. Everyone has done it for the love of
the night. We’ve had people such as Foreign Beggars, Extremists,
Anti Heroes, Doc brown, Lowkey, Reveal, Shameless and many more.
We started a website -
www.speakerscornerradio.com, which is
being built as we speak. Trust me, big things will come from
Speakers Corner - Mr Manage for Mayor !
“...We got open doors for any artist that wants a platform to
perform...”
What other music do you have in the
pipeline?
Manage: My album early 06, and a single late 05. A Killzone E.P
- which is myself, Possessed and Grimlok, a.Manage and Syanyde
collab E.P., then there is the Suicide Farm mix cd, Character
assassins vol. 2 by my boy Conflix, and tracks I’m doing with
The Last Skeptik and my boy Chemo – and much more.
Syanyde: I'm currently recording an E.P produced by Chemo and
Beat Butcha, I got a track on Verb T and The Last Skeptik's
forthcoming album with Jehst, the EP with Manage, and a lot of
verses on different projects – so look out for them.
Kate: Konshus Sounds is up for helping get conscious/political
lyrics out there, if you think your lyrics fit this then send us
a mail or text to 079140535962,
KonshusSounds@graffiti.net.
-
The Last Skeptik
- Photo credit: Chemo
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