Music Trends : French Orelsan

Orelsan video clip inspired by iPhone and social media trends.

Orelsan is a young French hip hop and rap artist (born August 1, 1982). He became known on the Internet with his song Valentine's Day. French and English speaking media have reported on a controversy involving his work being censored due to protests from feminists. Orelsan has been called the "French Eminem" because of his lyrics.

After been banned from some French concert halls and Paris’s public libraries declined to carry his album, musicians and free speech activists have been up in arms. “One wonders if our leaders understand their electors aren’t living in Tehran,” wrote Gilles Martin-Chauffier, editor in chief of the newsweekly Paris Match.

"Freedom of expression stops when incitement to violence begins," said one minister. The rapper, whose real name is Aurelien Contentin, has apologized for his song "Bitch" - "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.".

French rappers and politicians have a harsh history, those performers who rap about social issues, often to legal limits, end into court. the French State representatives have brought suit against N.T.M., Ministère A.M.E.R., Sniper, Monsieur R, La Rumeur, Lunatic and several others.

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