March 9, 2009
SO Empire
Today marks the official digital release of Lowkey's single Tears to Laughter. The single was first heard when he performed it as a poem at the London protests against the Gaza massacre at the beginning of the year. It has already become the unofficial soundtrack to many protests, university occupations and fundraising events for Gaza and Palestine across the UK. Lowkey and the single have already received support from the likes of Palestine Solidarity, Tony Benn (Stop the War), Lauren Booth (Aloha Palestine) and George Galloway MP (Respect Party/Viva Palestina). Lowkey and his record label SO Empire Recordings will be donating all their profits from the sales of the single to the DEC's Gaza appeal. George Galloway MP has issued a statement of support: "The Palestinian people of Gaza have suffered and continue to suffer a terrible injustice. We need everyone of goodwill to give them whatever support is possible. Lowkey has produced a brilliant song to express his solidarity with Gaza and Palestine. I hope you will buy it and listen to it. Above all, I hope you will be inspired by it to do whatever you can to ensure that we all remember Gaza and that the call for Palestine to be free grows ever louder." Lowkey is an award winning Hip Hop artist and poet, as well as a playwright and political activist and member of new supergroup Mongrel, whose debut album was released free with The Independent on Saturday. Having just returned from a tour of Israel and Palestine he has witnessed first hand the refugee camps, the destruction and the suffering the Palestinian people have to endure on a daily basis as a result of the three weeks of attacks by Israel on Gaza which, if Palestine is recognised by the International Criminal Court as a State, will see Israel's military leaders tried for war crimes. These attacks resulted in the deaths of at least 1,440 and injuries to 5,380 - nearly half of whom were women and children as well as causing causing an estimated $1.6 billion in damage. According to the Guardian 'At least 34,000 Gaza homes were damaged, and at least 50,000 Palestinians still have no access to clean drinking water. The ongoing Israeli blockade of Gaza saw the following items be refused entry in February alone: '30 metric tonnes of chickpeas, 43 pallets of macaroni, 1 37 pallets of wheat flour, 131 recreational kits, 68 pallets of stationery items for students, 150 school-in-a-box kits, 33 boxes of medicine, 22 freezer appliances, 3 generators and 4 water pumps.' http://www.myspace.com/lowkeyuk