Dave Doubles Down On Boris Johnson Criticism After Branding PM A 'Real Racist' At The Brits

The Funky Friday rapper hit out at the prime minister during a performance at this year's Brit Awards.
|

British rapper Dave has doubled down on his criticism of Boris Johnson, after branding the prime minister a “real racist’ during this year’s Brit Awards.

On Tuesday night, Dave delivered the stand-out performance at this year’s Brit Awards, when he took aim at the PM in a new rap after a rendition of his song Black.

The performance has obviously been blasted by some right-wing critics, including the following morning on Sky News, when Tory MP Priti Patel called the suggestion that Johnson is racist “utter nonsense”.

“I don’t know what those comments are based on,” she added. “It’s wrong to make judgements about individuals when you don’t know a particular individual, as in the case of the prime minister. He is not a racist at all and I just think those comments are highly inappropriate.”

Open Image Modal
Dave on stage at the Brit Awards
ADRIAN DENNIS via Getty Images

Dave has now shared a snippet of this interview on his Twitter page, alongside past comments made by Johnson which have led to accusations of racism.

Among them were excerpts from columns Johnson has written in the past, including one containing the phrase “flag-waving piccaninnies” and another in which he said: “Africa is a mess, but we can’t blame colonialism… the problem is not that we were once in charge, but that we are not in charge anymore.” 

Dave’s Brit Awards rap also saw him hitting out at the media’s treatment of Meghan Markle, as well as calling for “support for the Windrush generation” and “reparations”.

The performance was reminiscent of when fellow rapper Stormzy closed the show at the Brits two years ago, and hit out at then-prime minister Theresa May over the way her government reacted to the Grenfell Tower disaster.

Johnson has been heavily criticised in the past for referring to Black Africans as “piccaninnies” with “watermelon smiles” in opinion pieces he has written, as well as using language that has been deemed homophobic, classist and sexist.

Brit Awards 2020 Red Carpet
Billie Eilish(01 of57)
Open Image Modal
Nominated: Best International Female (credit:Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment)
Harry Styles(02 of57)
Open Image Modal
Nominated: Best British Album, Best British Male (credit:Mike Marsland via Getty Images)
Lizzo(03 of57)
Open Image Modal
Nominated: Best International Female (credit:Dave J Hogan via Getty Images)
Lewis Capaldi(04 of57)
Open Image Modal
Nominated: Best British Male, Album Of The Year, Best New Artist, Single Of The Year (credit:Gareth Cattermole via Getty Images)
Stormzy(05 of57)
Open Image Modal
Nominated: Best British Male, Best British Single, Best British Album (credit:Mike Marsland via Getty Images)
Anne-Marie(06 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Mike Marsland via Getty Images)
Mabel(07 of57)
Open Image Modal
Nominated: Best British Female and Best British Single (credit:Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment)
Dave(08 of57)
Open Image Modal
Nominated: Best British Album, Best British Male, New Artist, Best Single (credit:Joe Maher via Getty Images)
Celeste(09 of57)
Open Image Modal
Winner: Rising Star (credit:PA)
Ashley Roberts(10 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)
Laura Whitmore(11 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment)
Maya Jama(12 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:PA)
Charli XCX(13 of57)
Open Image Modal
Nominated: Best British Female (credit:Dave J Hogan via Getty Images)
Ellie Goulding(14 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Mike Marsland via Getty Images)
Abbey Clancy(15 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)
Jack Whitehall(16 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)
Rag'n'Bone Man(17 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:PA)
Aston Merrygold, Marvin Humes, JB Gill and Oritse Williams of JLS(18 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)
Fleur East(19 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment)
Nicola Roberts(20 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Mike Marsland via Getty Images)
Paloma Faith(21 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Mike Marsland via Getty Images)
Michael Kiwanuka(22 of57)
Open Image Modal
Nominated: Best British Male (credit:Gareth Cattermole via Getty Images)
Burna Boy(23 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:PA)
Mabel and Neneh Cherry(24 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Joe Maher via Getty Images)
Vick Hope(25 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Mike Marsland via Getty Images)
AJ Tracey(26 of57)
Open Image Modal
Nominated: Best Song (credit:Joe Maher via Getty Images)
Melanie C(27 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Mike Marsland via Getty Images)
Montana Brown(28 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment)
Martin Kemp and Roman Kemp(29 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)
Michelle Keegan(30 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Dave J Hogan via Getty Images)
Mahalia(31 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)
AJ Odudu(32 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Gareth Cattermole via Getty Images)
Tom Walker(33 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Gareth Cattermole via Getty Images)
Jorja Smith(34 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Ian West - PA Images via Getty Images)
Ashnikko(35 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Gareth Cattermole via Getty Images)
Grace Carter(36 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:PA)
Sir Tom Jones(37 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)
Freya Ridings(38 of57)
Open Image Modal
Nominated: Best British Female (credit:Dave J Hogan via Getty Images)
Johnny Marr(39 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:PA)
Tallia Storm(40 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Ian West - PA Images via Getty Images)
Will Farquarson, Kyle Simmons, Dan Smith and Chris Wood of Bastille(41 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment)
FKA Twigs(42 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Gareth Cattermole via Getty Images)
Emily Atack(43 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)
Hailee Steinfeld(44 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Dave J Hogan via Getty Images)
Niall Horan(45 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Mike Marsland via Getty Images)
Sam Fender(46 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Ian West - PA Images via Getty Images)
Amber Davies(47 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Ian West - PA Images via Getty Images)
Aitch(48 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Gareth Cattermole via Getty Images)
Dermot Kennedy(49 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Mike Marsland via Getty Images)
Dizzee Rascal(50 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Joe Maher via Getty Images)
Michael Ward(51 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Dave J Hogan via Getty Images)
Penny Lancaster and Rod Stewart(52 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Ian West - PA Images via Getty Images)
Mollie King(53 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)
Alex Scott(54 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Mike Marsland via Getty Images)
Kiefer Sutherland(55 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Joe Maher via Getty Images)
Annie Mac(56 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment)
Greg James(57 of57)
Open Image Modal
(credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)