Dookoom Burns Down The Farm In Controversial New Music Video
Larney Jou Poes, Dookoom's incendiary new music video, premiered on City Press on Sunday and on Vice's music channel Noisey last night. The first track on their new EP, A Gangster Called Big Times, Larney Jou Poes tells the story of a farm uprising in the Western Cape, an area where tensions have flared regularly between farmers and workers.
“Farmer Abrahams had many farms; many farms had farmer Abrahams,” sings Cape Flats underground legend and Die Antwoord collaborator Isaac Mutant, updating the children's gospel song Father Abraham. “I work one of them, and so do you, so let's go burn one down.” The music video ends with the band having branded their logo onto the farm.
On Tuesday, minority rights group AfriForum laid a complaint of hate speech against Dookoom with the South African Human Rights Commission, but Isaac says, “We're not inciting violence. No one gets hurt in the video. But it's about claiming the land and being angry, because we have a right to be angry.”
Larney Jou Poes is an impressive debut from director-to-watch Dane Dodds. “When Isaac sent me a few tracks to choose from, Larney Jou Poes made me feel the most uncomfortable,” says Dane. “As the son of a farmer, I know those feelings are there, so I just wanted to make people talk about them, because they're often swept under the carpet.”
Born in 1994, Dane's been making videos since he was five. He's spent his first year out of high school on a film residency with award-winning Cape Town production company Fly on the Wall, while also assisting leading street artists Faith47 and DALeast.
Dane's been shadowing Fly on the Wall over school holidays since he was 15, when he discovered director Bryan Little and photographer Filipa Domingues (Suicide Monkey) in South African pop culture magazine One Small Seed. “They've been heroes to me,” he says. “The work they do feels South African; it's not someone trying to be European. That's the kind of work I want to do.”
Dane's just launched a production company, Sirius Tales. For more information, visit www.siriustales.com.
Dookoom recently signed to 88 Management, who also represent Hugh Masekela and BLK JKS. For more information, visit http://dookoom.bandcamp.com/.
Watch and embed the music video:
Read AfriForum's press release about the hate speech charge at
https://www.afriforum.co.za/afriforum-submits-hate-speech-complaint-
rap-group-dookoom/.
What people are saying about Dookoom:
“Remember when people were freaked out by Die Antwoord? Boy cried wolf. And now the real wolf-pack's here.” Alice Inggs, Rolling Stone
“The song warns the entire nation that a crisis is looming on the farms and we would do well to heed the warning. We must use this chance to speed up land reform and to give the workers their fair slice of the land." COSATU
“All of Larney Jou Poes's gut punches land – the track feels like the sonic revolution South Africa has been waiting for, the EFF of hip-hop sans the R16-million tax bill and the R7,000 lizard-skin loafers.”
Richard Poplak, Daily Maverick
“Dit klink asof Public Enemy tik gerook het, vir twee jaarlank ge-gym het sonder om te slaap, en kaalvuis poesklappe links en regs uitdeel in 'n besige straat vol criminals. En al die fights wen.”
Wat Kyk Jy
“Mutant is something to behold; he is at once the raw energy of Wu Tang's Ol' Dirty Bastard combined with the street poetry of Tupac.”
Dylan Valley, Africa Is A Country
“South African hip-hop hasn't sounded this vital and engaged in, like, forever.”
Lloyd Gedye, The Con
“It's hard to believe there's anyone who's not listening now.”
Natalie Minofu, Platform
“Romanticising violence & glorifying anarchy in the most violent country in the world? Grow-up & man-up Dookoom. Get a family, job & responsibility.” @steve_hofmeyr on Twitter
Music Video Credits:
Director: Dane Dodds
Producer: Niklas Berning
Co-producer: Lars Overland
DOP: Diogo Domingues
Editor: Marte Aasen
Post production: Grant Birch
Gaffer: Clint Howes
Copywriter: Rasmus Bitsch
A White Dwarf Production by Sirius Tales
Special thank you
Bryan Little
Filipa Domingues
Grant Appleton
Fly on the Wall
Carey Dodds
The Karoo cast and crew