''Juice Rap News'' is an internet based satirical news show, created in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

The Juice Media The Juice Media (TJM) is an Australian company that produces contemporary, human rights political and social satire. They are known for their Internet series Honest Government Ads and Juice Rap News. TJM has been at the centre of a number of s ...

. The show was the creation of a duo, Hugo Farrant and Giordano Nanni, based in Australia and consists of a rapped "news report" with

social commentary Social commentary is the act of using rhetorical means to provide commentary on social, cultural, political, or economic issues in a society. This is often done with the idea of implementing or promoting change by informing the general populace ab ...

using comical rap lyrics. The show is known for using satire and

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

rhyming to analyse important topics of the day in a humorous, yet philosophical fashion. Juice Rap News is distributed via YouTube. Some episodes were licensed to the international television news channel RT for rebroadcast. The audience of Juice Rap News is international and episodes have been translated into more than 20 languages. 35 episodes were produced in total, plus a video announcing that the 35th episode was the final they would produce. However, in September 2016, due to audience demand, Giordano Nanni produced a special episode for that year's

United States presidential election The election of the president and the vice president of the United States is an indirect election in which citizens of the United States who are registered to vote in one of the fifty U.S. states or in Washington, D.C., cast ballots not dir ...

, and announced that the series would continue to produce content from time to time, with a new crew. Nanni and Farrant co-wrote and produced the series together in their home studio in Melbourne, Australia. Nanni focused on content (crafting the arguments, narrative and perspectives depicted and explored in the show); while Farrant focused on form (giving the dialogue the "rhyme and flow" of rap and performing the vocals of most of the characters). Farrant portrayed the

anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek ἄ� ...

Robert Foster and a host of other characters, including the regulars General Baxter and Terrence Moonseed. Nanni also appeared in the show, portraying many characters, such as Aussie correspondent Ken Oathcarn, "MSMBS" host Brian Washington, PR host Ivan Sakamunev, Bill de Berg and George Torwell, all using vox by Hugo Farrant. The goal was to provide an alternative view on world events, one that they felt was lacking in popular media outlets.

Recurring fictional characters

Robert Foster

Robert Foster, performed by Hugo Farrant, is the anchor and central character of Rap News.

General Baxter

Darth H. Baxter, also performed by Hugo Farrant, is a caricature representing the

Military Industrial Complex A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

. When war is in the news, General Baxter is called upon to give the point of view of war-mongering, colonialist governance. Baxter often changes his uniform to represent the topic.

Terrence Moonseed

Terrence Moonseed, again performed by Hugo Farrant, is the caricature of the resident mad pseudo-scientist / hippy that often counterpoints General Baxter with

new age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars consi ...

spirituality and

conspiracy theories A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * * * * The term has a nega ...

Ken Oathcarn

Ken Oathcarn, portrayed by Giordano Nanni (with vox by Hugo Farrant), is an Australian

bogan Bogan ( ) is Australian slang for a person whose speech, clothing, attitude and behaviour are considered unrefined or unsophisticated. Depending on the context, the term can be pejorative or self-deprecating. The prevalence of the term bogan ...

stereotype and correspondent for Rap News who appears when Rap News handles Australian-centric topics. In July 2013, Ken Oathcarn visited Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to give Assange a "makeover" for his campaign for senate in Australia.

Brian Washington (Brain Washing)

Fictional news reporter for "MSMBS" (which is an acronym for Mainstream Media Bullshit and also similar to

MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and politi ...

), portraying mainstream American news reporters in a satirical manner.

William De Berg

William De Berg (Bill De Berg – Bilderberg) is a shady businessman who takes advantage of the situation to capitalise. He represents the international business elite colluding to control government policies and legal systems. He also represents

the Illuminati The Illuminati (; plural of Latin ''illuminatus'', 'enlightened') is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on ...

and the New World Order. Bill de Berg filled in for Robert Foster and hosted Episode 36, about the 2016 US Presidential Election.

Cameo appearances

Julian Assange

Julian Assange appeared in Rap News Number 5 only a few weeks before the "Cablegate" story broke in December 2010. Later, in Episode 20, Assange gets a "makeover" by Ken Oathcarn, donning a mullet wig, singing John Farnham's "

You're the Voice "You're the Voice" is a song written by Andy Qunta, Keith Reid, Maggie Ryder and Chris Thompson, and recorded by the Australian singer John Farnham and released as a single in September 1986 ahead of his album '' Whispering Jack''. "You're t ...

" recorded in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

Noam Chomsky

Linguist and political writer

Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American public intellectual: a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky i ...

appeared in Rap News 10. Chomsky's segment was recorded whilst he was visiting Australia to collect the 2011 City of Sydney Peace Prize.

Kristinn Hrafnsson

Investigative journalist and

WikiLeaks WikiLeaks () is an international non-profit organisation that published news leaks and classified media provided by anonymous sources. Julian Assange, an Australian Internet activist, is generally described as its founder and director and ...

spokesman

Kristinn Hrafnsson Kristinn Hrafnsson (born 25 June 1962) is an Icelandic investigative journalist who has been the editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks since 2018. He was the spokesperson for WikiLeaks between 2010 and 2017. Career He has worked at various newspapers i ...

appeared in Rap News 13 (A News Hope) to defend WikiLeaks in the context of

Newscorp News Corporation (abbreviated News Corp.), also variously known as News Corporation Limited, was an American multinational mass media corporation controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in N ...

's phone hacking scandal.

Sage Francis

Hip-hop artist

Sage Francis Paul William "Sage" Francis (born November 18, 1976) is an American independent underground rapper from Providence, Rhode Island. He is the founder and CEO of Strange Famous Records. Early life and education Francis was born in Miami, Florida ...

appeared in Rap News 21.

Abby Martin

RT America RT America was a U.S.-based news channel headquartered in Washington, D.C. Owned by TV Novosti and operated by production company T&RProductions, it was a part of the RT network, a global multilingual television news network based in Moscow fund ...

presenter and journalist Abby Martin appeared in Rap News 23, criticizing military intervention in

Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...

Norman Finkelstein

American and Jewish political scientist, activist, professor, and author

Norman Finkelstein Norman Gary Finkelstein (; born December 8, 1953) is an American political scientist, activist, former professor, and author. His primary fields of research are the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and the politics of the Holocaust. He is a g ...

appeared and rapped in Rap News 24, "Israel vs Palestine", as part of a segment hosted by MSMBS anchorman Brian Washington. Finkelstein calls in to the MSMBS programme and interrupts the conversation between Israeli Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...

and Brian Washington to criticise Israel's actions towards Palestine. He refers to Israel as a "lunatic state" and tells Bibi to "shut up" after the Israeli statesman accuses Finkelstein of being a "self-hating Jew".

DAM

Palestinian rap group

DAM A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

appeared and rapped in Rap News 24, "Israel vs Palestine". The Palestinian trio filmed their scene in Ramallah next to the separation wall that divides Israel from the

West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

. In the episode, they conduct a conversation across the wall with Ken Oathcarn who is on an assignment to Israel to learn about its similarities with Australia as a settler colony. The DAM trio inform Ken Oathcarn about the day of the "Nakba" and voice their support for a one state solution to the conflict.

Scott Ludlam

Senator of the Australian Greens party, Scott Ludlam appeared and rapped in Rap News 29, criticizing the actions of Prime Minister

Tony Abbott Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is a former Australian politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott was born in Londo ...

in the lead-up to the

2014 G-20 Brisbane summit The 2014 G20 Brisbane summit was the ninth meeting of the G20 heads of government/heads of state.

, labelling Mr Abbott's laws as "a fascist fuckfest of

Orwellian "Orwellian" is an adjective describing a situation, idea, or societal condition that George Orwell identified as being destructive to the welfare of a free and open society. It denotes an attitude and a brutal policy of draconian control by pro ...

proportions" and claiming to "go full

Gandalf Gandalf is a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels '' The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is a wizard, one of the ''Istari'' order, and the leader of the Fellowship of the Ring. Tolkien took the name "Gandalf" from the Old Nor ...

on this government's arse, smack down their laws with a dose of you shall not pass" before appearing dressed as Gandalf in the episode's credits.

Controversies

Rap News 20 caused controversy when it was released during the

2013 Australian Federal Election The 2013 Australian federal election to elect the members of the 44th Parliament of Australia took place on 7 September 2013. The centre-right Liberal/National Coalition opposition led by Opposition leader Tony Abbott of the Liberal Party of A ...

. Most of the controversy surrounded Julian Assange's appearance in the episode. The character Ken Oathcarn (played by Nanni) convinces Assange that if he is to be successful in his election bid for a Senate seat, he is in need of a make-over. Assange dons a flannel shirt, a blonde mullet wig and a fake Australian flag tattoo, and proceeds to sing a parody of John Farnham's "You’re The Voice." The video went viral soon after being posted online. It also featured on

The Chaser The Chaser are an Australian satirical comedy group, best known for their television programmes and satirical news masthead. The group take their name from their satirical newspaper, a publication known to challenge conventions of taste. Th ...

's 2013 Federal Election coverage and Ten's The Project. The offending scene was filmed in London's Ecuadorian Embassy where Assange has remained since seeking political asylum on 19 June 2012, which he was granted in August 2012. After Rap News went viral, Assange was publicly chastised for his appearance in the video by Ecuadorian President

Rafael Correa Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado (; born 6 April 1963), known as Rafael Correa, is an Ecuadorian politician and economist who served as President of Ecuador from 2007 to 2017. The leader of the PAIS Alliance political movement from its foundation ...

, who said, :"We have sent him a letter: he can campaign politically, but without making fun of Australian politicians. We are not going to allow that. The rules of asylum in principle forbid meddling in the politics of the country that grants asylum. But as a matter of courtesy we are not going to bar Julian Assange from exercising his right to be a candidate. Just so long as he doesn't make fun of Australian politicians or people." This was the first public indication of any friction between Assange and his Ecuadorian hosts. Furthermore, many major media outlets failed to recognise Rap News 20 as satire, calling it a "campaign video," in what Farrant and Nanni described as "true to form." In an interview with ABC Radio, the duo addressed the controversy and confusion, saying, :"In the world of the internet parody culture, what we’re doing is accepted and most people and most of the comments on the video and on Twitter and Facebook are overwhelmingly positive. It’s no surprise that once things are taken out of context and brought into the world, of, you know, the considerably more sober world of the mainstream media, these out of context quotes can be portrayed as offensive…We don’t really engage with that audience. Our audience is on the internet. We really pride ourselves on making an internet show and we’re trying to get people away from the more conventional, centralised, one-way media model, such as, basically, the traditional media. We love the fact that people can watch the video, post comments, we reply to comments, it’s a two way dialogue, it’s a totally different culture". On 14 September 2013, Farrant and Nanni notified viewers that a copyright claim had been filed against the video for the parodic use of Farnham's "You're the Voice", despite protection for parody and satire under Part III: 41A and Part IV: 103AA of the Australian Copyright Act. On 26 October 2013, the duo uploaded a version without the parody, as an agreement with copyright holders had not been reached.

Reception

As of November 2017, the YouTube channel hosting Rap News has received more than 17 million total video views; additionally the channel has over 118,000 subscribers. Rap News has been warmly received by organisations that advocate whistle-blowing including

and The Kindle Project. The Rap News videos—either individually, or as a whole series—have been featured on a large number of esoteric and fringe-view websites. (Examples:)

Rap News 5 (The War on Journalism)

Rap News 5 was 'video of the week' on an edition of Al-Jazeera's '' The Listening Post'', which aired on 27 November 2010. A heavily edited version of RN5 (lasting just over 60 seconds) played out during the episode.

Rap News 15 (Big Brother is WWWatching You)

In a very brief article, Michael Kelly of ''

Business Insider ''Insider'', previously named ''Business Insider'' (''BI''), is an American financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Insider''s parent company Insider Inc. has been owned by the German pub ...

'' wrote about Rap News, saying "This Australian website calls out the immense rise in US domestic surveillance" and went on to describe the Rap News 15 segment as "informative and entertaining". Rap News 15 also came to the attention of American cryptographer and security expert

Bruce Schneier Bruce Schneier (; born January 15, 1963) is an American cryptographer, computer security professional, privacy specialist, and writer. Schneier is a Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and a Fellow at the Berkman Klein Cente ...

, who posted a link to the video on his website, accompanied with text simply stating: "wow".

Rap News 19 (Whistleblower)

Australian Senator Scott Ludlam quoted verbatim a small excerpt from Rap News 19 to conclude a speech he was making in the Australian Senate regarding whistle-blowers. The exact portion he quoted was "Whistleblowers; they leak in the public interest. Now what remains to be known is – is the public interested? If so, this might be a good day to exhibit it! Ignorance is a choice, in the age of the internet."

Rap News 20 (A Game of Polls)

See controversies.

Rap News 22 (The Energy Crisis)

Zachary Shahan of ''

TreeHugger ''TreeHugger'' is a sustainability website that reports on news, and other subjects like eco-friendly design, homes, and gardens. It was rated the top sustainability blog of 2007 by Nielsen Netratings, and was included in Time Magazine's 200 ...

'' and CleanTechnica wrote two brief reviews of Rap News 22 in which he claimed to have "really enjoyed it and thought it was quite well done" but went on to say "while they are satirizing conspiracy theorists and global warming deniers, they probably reinforce the myths more than dispel them."

Rap News 23 (Crimea Media Wars)

Rap News once again made The Listening Post's 'video of the week', with RN23. A two-minute extract from the Crimea Media Wars video was aired on 5 April edition of the program.

Episodes – Season 1 (2009–2011)

Episodes – Season 2 (2012–2013)

Episodes – Season 3 (2014)

Episodes – Season 4 (2015–)

Notes

References

External links

Juice Media YouTube channel
on the ''YouTube''. Retrieved 20 November 2013
Website
Retrieved 20 November 2013
Rap News
{{Portal bar, Australia, Comedy Musical groups from Melbourne Australian political satire Australian satirists Viral videos 2000s YouTube series 2010s YouTube series