Jeremy Corbyn has expressed his admiration for a controversial UK rapper whose lyrics are littered with anti-Zionist sentiment.
Lowkey - real name Kareem Dennis - performed a song earlier this year called Long Live Palestine, which includes the words “nothing is more anti-semitic than Zionism” and “Israel is a terror state, they’re terrorists that terrorise.”
But late on Sunday evening over the bank holiday, former Labour leader Mr Corbyn, who now serves as an “independent” MP, took to Twitter to praise the rapper.
Responding to the 36-year-old artist’s tweet about his tour of four Dutch cities, Mr. Corbyn wrote: “Well done Lowkey, what energy and good messages you carry!”
Other songs on London-born Lowkey’s current set list contain references to the “Zionist lobby” and he has previously called Israel a “racist endeavour”.
Lowkey is a supporter of Mr. Corbyn, releasing a Vote Corbyn rap on the even of the 2019 general election.
In March this year, a row broke out after the National Union of Students invited Lowkey to perform at a conference for students from marginalised groups. He withdrew after concerns from Jewish students but the NUS was criticised for advising them to “go into an existing safe space” at the gig.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism told the JC: “The controversial rapper and activist Lowkey has previously described Israel as a 'racist endeavour' and Zionism as 'antisemitic', and has spoken of the 'Zionist lobby' in the context of global capitalism.
"He has also repeatedly associated with the disgraced former Labour MP Chris Williamson and the conspiracist and disgraced academic David Miller, and was recently embroiled in a controversy at the National Union of Students.
"Whether despite or because of this inflammatory record, Lowkey has drawn praise from none other than Jeremy Corbyn for the 'good messages you carry'. Yet still, the Labour Party is happy to have Mr Corbyn as a member. Why is the Party so stubbornly unable to see what all of the rest of us can?”
The JC has asked the Labour Party, Mr Corbyn and Lowkey for comment.
