Romana Rubeo 
“Now the silence is deafening,” Saint Francis told us. But Sage Francis is more than just a great singer, performer, and musician. His is truly a masterpiece and a truly unique artistic movement. he told the Palestine Chronicle.
As Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza continues, the situation in the besieged Strip is becoming more dire by the day.
After more than four months of heavy Israeli shelling and shelling, more than 100,000 Palestinians are dead, injured or still missing.
Despite the dire numbers and equally horrifying images and footage coming out of Gaza by the minute, Western leaders and mainstream media are ruthlessly manipulating the truth. They persist in a dehumanizing narrative that depicts Palestinians as terrorists and Israel as the epitome of civilization and democracy.
Unlike in other wars, where artists take principled stands in defense of war victims and are encouraged to speak out on their behalf, speaking out on behalf of Gaza victims However, artists rarely receive praise or even recognition. mainstream society.
The Palestine Chronicle has announced that American artist Sage Francis, founder of the indie rap movement and CEO of Strange Famous Records, has released a new song featuring Old Boy Rhymes and Rituals of Mine. Talked about “Master Cleanse”. (See video below)
The song and video are a powerful attempt to raise awareness about the horrific events going on in the besieged Gaza Strip. The song and its poignant lyrics also serve as an unabashed critique of the American political system, which continues to use Americans’ tax dollars to fund devastating wars.
“I’m having lucid dreams of terrifying scenes. Things humans do when they get too extreme. Chasing prayers like a wolverine, rooting for the team. But turning the army into a means to an end. Some people regard it as such,” some of the song’s lyrics read.
The rest of the song is an equally courageous confrontation not only with the war itself, but with the collective complicity that allows such a genocidal war to continue.
Palestine Chronicle: In your January 27th Facebook post explaining the origin of your latest song “Master Cleanse,” you explain that you have been forced to talk about this situation since October 7th. This is the exact opposite of what has happened to many artists when the issue becomes “too complicated.”
sage francis: There are only so many inhumane things that happen day in and day out before it feels very strange and completely wrong not to say anything (Israel for the tragic events of October 7th) etc.). I am fully aware that the constant bombardment of Gaza is funded by my own US tax dollars, and I am complicit in it.
I think people like to live with a mental disconnect about it. It’s the least I can do to show my support for the Palestinian people and to speak out to make more people aware of what’s going on. Most artists probably feel that it’s too complicated to talk about things outside of their jurisdiction. And we hope that our songs and messages will ease them into thinking that it’s actually not that complicated.
Even if you can’t be bothered to do any research, there’s no way someone who considers themselves a humanitarian can witness a genocide in progress and not admit that it’s wrong.
But most people, even timid artists, just shrug their shoulders and divert attention to things that don’t require real backbone. Some people are completely afraid of the backlash they will receive in their families, communities, and workplaces. It’s not easy to get through this, but it’s a thousand times easier than what the people we speak out have to deal with every day.
I couldn’t be more grateful to OldBoy Rhymes and Alxndrbrwn for gifting me with the song “Master Cleanse” and inviting me to be on it. Because until that happened, I didn’t really know how best to express the current situation in a song.
computer: Do you think artists have a moral responsibility to speak out in times of genocide? And is silence in the face of these horrors a form of complicity?
SCIENCE FICTION: When I talked about genocide in an online post, a Jewish friend told me that it was offensive for me to use such language. Therefore, people need to understand that they are exposing themselves to different types of conflicts, and that some people are very afraid of conflicts. it’s not. I understand that everyone is different and deals with things in their own way.
Some were upset that I didn’t speak up sooner, but it took me a while to realize what was actually going on. I don’t think there should be any confusion at this point.
But yeah, it doesn’t matter to me whether you’re an artist or a carpenter. If you can’t find your own way to help or speak up, that’s completely a form of complicity. And now that silence is deafening. I’m not saying it’s a moral responsibility for artists to jump on every atrocity in the world, when society at large could just whistle past them in their graves while they were alive. , I am beginning to understand how something like the Holocaust could happen. My own lifestyle was not affected personally. Fools don’t really want to accept what’s going on. Because we are programmed to believe that there is nothing we can do and that it is outside of our realm.
computer: You are also speaking directly to the American people and telling them that they are paying for genocide with their tax dollars. And you don’t hesitate to call it genocide. Do you think your colleagues are afraid of the consequences? If so, what are the consequences?
SCIENCE FICTION: It is true that my colleagues fear the consequences. There are a select few who spoke out and faced the consequences. Some of the media people I work with are happy to cover any of my projects, but when it comes to this song, I don’t want to publish it or play it on a mix show. It was clear that they felt that doing so would interfere with their work.
The consequences are not tangible and we don’t know what will ultimately happen, but I have never seen so many people in the entertainment industry feel like they have to walk on eggshells. I’ve never seen it. Even after 9/11. When I released “Makeshift Patriot” in 2001, I had nothing to lose, but I still held on tight to my seat, wondering if someone was going to drag me out of my apartment.
People still remind me how much it meant to them that I was willing to talk about things on their terms, but wasn’t as comfortable stating them myself. So far, the Master Cleanse seems to have similar effects. I have a lot to lose at this point, but I have the grace of the past to know that there are people who need to hear this, and there always will be. It benefits them in many ways.
computer: You’re talking about the complete silence that intentionally accompanied the release of this powerful song. This is the kind of censorship people experience every day when they try to speak outside of mainstream thinking. In your experience, do you think this censorship has gotten worse over the years? For example, was it different when you released Makesfhift Patriot, which was also a strong critique of the existing power paradigm?
SCIENCE FICTION: “The Makeshift Patriot” was released in the wild west of the internet, before the big companies figured out how to control everything. So I’m not really sure if it’s more about censorship than it is about gatekeeping or the ability to limit the kinds of materials people have access to. I think that’s censorship, yes. Hey. The more I think about it, the more…well, if the higher ups are saying things they don’t want to influence their agenda or finances, it’s much easier for them to suppress that voice in 2024.
There are workarounds, but sometimes people think of ways to break through the gate. Although it is painful to watch, we are grateful that video footage from Gaza is being shared in real time on various social media sites. It was brightening up to say the least.
It can be very depressing to watch, and sometimes you have to look away for your own mental health, but it’s always easy for people who live it every day to look at it, just like us. This is done with the understanding that you cannot turn your back. .
So, again, I wonder how it’s possible that people who know what’s going on don’t do their part by showing support, speaking out, or doing nothing. “I’m not political, brother. It kills my vibe.” Right. How many children have been killed or maimed today with your money and had to undergo surgery without anesthesia? Sleep well, bud.
computer: Finally, a question about intersectionality. Your works, activities, and artistic messages span a variety of issues and geographic spaces. How do you think Palestine and South Africa are connected? Do you think there are healthy solutions to oppression, war and social inequality?
SCIENCE FICTION: When I first visited South Africa in 2011, I think I had similar frustrations about people’s lack of awareness and interest, which is probably not what you’re thinking. Let me just say right off the bat that I felt a strange sense of pride watching South Africa lead Israel to a mission on the world stage, despite having no formal ties to South Africa.
But when I was there, it was to take part in a documentary about children with HIV who are receiving alternative treatment. This was a “treatment” that I believed was completely bogus, which I cried out loud during my stay, but the documentary was never completed or released. But while I was there, I saw children living in squalor and despair while being basically used as guinea pigs. This is a completely different story, but it made me realize how much Westerners and the general public really don’t know about this because they are never exposed to it.
And if it’s not directly affecting me, why should I care? That mindset never really clicked with me. But it wasn’t just despair. I witnessed the incredible resilience of people and couldn’t help but be inspired. Even in the face of absolute fear, there was a great sense of hope that lifted their spirits.
If there is a healthy answer to oppression, war, and social inequality, I am convinced that there is enough power to make most people question it to the point that they don’t want to think about it anymore.
Unless it directly affects them. Perhaps people need to start recognizing that they need to solve this problem before it comes knocking on their door.
(Palestinian Chronicle)
– Romana Rubeo is an Italian writer and editor-in-chief of the Palestine Chronicle. Her articles have been published in many online newspapers and academic journals. She holds a master’s degree in foreign languages and literature and specializes in audiovisual and journalistic translation.