Thread by @mrpaluvets

Young Dalit icons tend to idolize and relate more to the African American struggle than the Tamil struggle. They see Tamil identities as oppressive identities. Tamil Kings are also to blame for the landless state of most Tamils. This is a disconnect. But if this trend continues

https://twitter.com/karupatikoffee/status/1376380811469975553

it will look a lot like cultural appropriation than solidarity. I don't think Arivu was made a caricature here. I think it was a well informed decision he made. He probably chose to play that role. Dalitism endorses Indian Nationalism, it doesn't hold or celebrate any other

national identity. That is one of the many reasons why young Dalits today don't stand in solidarity with the Eelam struggle(the Tiger uprising, was a Dalit uprising). Not everyone has the in-depth understanding of identity politics like Annan Thiruma does.

So Dalit politics doesn't identify itself with Dravidam or Tamil Nationalism. Annan Thiruma might be the last leader who rules the Dravidam & Tamil Nationalist space. Future Dalit leaders of Tamil Nadu who follow Dalitism will be from Congress and BJP.

Rap/Sollisai as an independent genre of music became famous within the Tamil music scene because of Malaysian and Eelam rappers(in that order), and both Malaysians and Eelam rappers imitated the African American style in almost everything except for the language.

I remember an Eelam Tamil rap song that released in 2007/2009 that starts with a reference to MLK Jr's i have a dream speech. Then Sujeeth G brought Bharathidasan lyrics into rap, the Malaysian rappers brought in Saivite religious literature, then Hiphop Tamizha brought Bharathi

And that is how they try to show Tamil authenticity. Arivu on the other hand is very original, and his lines are far more powerful and hard hitting than that of any other Tamil rapper. He doesn't need the help of Bharathidasan or Bharathi. He doesn't need that support.

The language he raps in, the issues he discusses is his way of showing 'Tamil authenticity'.

7 months ago, i ranted about Kip Kop Anna's alien album nonsense on my channel. In that i mention Arivu.