The life and rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah

Transcript

00:00 You know, and I used to perform that to people and try and say to them,

00:05 "Look, we can unite."

00:08 # Check my swan, I'm African

00:10 # I swing that African swing

00:12 # I have always been an African

00:14 # But once I never know

00:16 # And then I seek my culture and I let my dreadlocks grow. #

00:19 (HELICOPTER WHIRRING)

00:21 See you later!

00:22 (LAUGHTER)

00:24 (LAUGHTER, CHEERING)

00:29 It's useful to have other people.

00:31 People live in families, gangs, posses and packs.

00:35 It seems we need company before we relax.

00:38 So stop making enemies and let's face the facts.

00:42 People will always need people. Oh, yeah!

00:46 (APPLAUSE)

00:48 You...you...you people here know that 400 years ago,

00:53 people left from this Boston... Yes.

00:56 ..and they migrated to the United States of America

00:59 to form another Boston. Yeah.

01:01 Nigel, you should go on a programme called Who Do You Think You Are?

01:04 Because I'm sure that you will find that you got migrants in your family.

01:08 (APPLAUSE)

01:09 The OBE means Order of the British Empire.

01:12 MBE is Member of the British Empire.

01:15 I've been fighting against empire all my life.

01:18 I've been fighting against slavery and colonialism all my life.

01:23 I've been writing to connect with people,

01:26 not to impress governments and monarchy.

01:28 So how could I then go and accept an honour

01:32 that puts the word "empire" onto my name?

01:36 That would be hypocritical.

01:38 (APPLAUSE)

01:40 (MUSIC)

01:43 (MUSIC FADES)

01:45 (MUSIC FADES)

01:47 (MUSIC FADES)

01:49 [BLANK_AUDIO]