Rappers return with rant against Senate 'bootlickers'

Rappers return with rant against Senate 'bootlickers'

The music video of 250 Bootlickers includes scenes shot at an exhibition by the street artist Headache Stencil, depicting Prayut Chan-o-cha and Thaksin Shinawatra facing off in a casino.
The music video of 250 Bootlickers includes scenes shot at an exhibition by the street artist Headache Stencil, depicting Prayut Chan-o-cha and Thaksin Shinawatra facing off in a casino.

The rappers who took the country by storm late last year have released a new video taking dead aim at the unelected Senate, just 24 hours ahead of the general election.

The song and video, titled 250 Bootlickers, complete with English subtitles, had attracted 250,000 views as of 8pm on Saturday, 18 hours after it was posted on YouTube.

Rap Against Dictatorship caused a stir in late October with Prathet Ku Mee (What My Country’s Got), which has been watched 59.6 million times on YouTube. 

The new song does not mention the military-appointed Senate directly but the artists' disapproval of the system that will choose the country’s next prime minister after Sunday’s vote is clear.

“Rights we deserve are gone because of those bootlickers”, they chant, expressing their frustration with the political situation. “Fifty million people starting to have no choice because their worth is less than those of 250.”

The names of the appointed senators will not be announced until after the EC has officially certified the election results, expected in early May. Most political observers believe they will overwhelmingly back Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha as the next prime minister if the political party formed by junta supporters can form a coalition.

The music video, by Robert Chitchaliew, was set in a dim studio at the Thailand Casino Exhibition by Headache Stencil, a street artist dubbed the “Banksy of Thailand”. He shot to fame for his renditions of the “watch general”, a critique of Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon and his murky asset declaration case.

The runaway success of Prathet Ku Mee after its launch on Oct 22 had prompted authorities to threaten legal action against the group. They backed down shortly afterward.

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