Giving voice to the oppressed | Jon Mallia

Do you think hip-hop is just as strong as other musical styles on the island, and how do you think No Bling show in particular contribute to this?

Hip-hop, especially in the Maltese language keeps growing in popularity despite its almost utter absence from conventional mainstream media. No Bling Show contributes by giving its absolute utmost, like many other bands do, towards this budding scene. Tackling social themes that are generally brushed under the carpet I would say are the number one source of contribution No Bling Show brings to the musical scene in general. Again, this is not uniquely an aspect No Bling Show brings to local Hip-hop. Acts like Sempliciment tat-Triq, Muzika EK and even Legacy, JMV and Nitrox in the English language have championed shedding light on dark social matters.

On this latest outing No Bling Show used a piece of traditional Maltese poetry by Rużar Briffa called "Jum ir-Rebh" to discuss the modern ailments of this infant nation. I think something like that does its fair bit towards rejuvenating a country's heritage. The use of the Maltese village banda was also integrated into the works in a satirical track entitled "Il-partit taghna!" in which the band divulges its electoral program.

With this new release, how do you hope to build on No Bling's previous work?

No Bling Show has built on its experience while adding new blood to the outfit and thus a new outlook to the equation. For instance, while the first album was written, produced, packaged and sold in just five weeks, this album took around six months to simply write and produce. It's important to note that Jon [Mallia] never had any intention of making No Bling Show resurface, there was no actual strategy forming throughout the three year absence. Everything that surrounds Ċar Kristall was done out of the impulsive passion that such arts tend to carry with them. Since the disbanding of No Bling Show happened abruptly, this feels very much like continuing where we left off. The ethos remains the same, whilst the experience and the fresh drive propel the idea to newer heights.

Is there any particular subject matter you keep returning to? What would this be? On that note (and considering the cultural history of hip-hop in general), do you think Malta has the kind of 'street culture' to match the genre's most popular proponents from the US?

We certainly retained the storytelling element from the first album and the bluntness and openness in our approach to the topics.

Of course, we can't put an album out without taking a few jabs at the politicians, nor can we omit humor from the deal. In fact if you listen to the album, you will realise that we don't take ourselves too seriously at all.

I think while there isn't a harsh street reality here in Malta, there are injustices that need to be spoken of and while comparing the harsh street reality in the US to that of Malta would be ludicrous, hip-hop is still valid as a tool of expression of the oppressed, whatever the degree of that oppression might be.

The rest of No Bling Show is made up of Claude 'Ir-Rapper' Agius, Luke 'il-Bon' Bonavia and Andrea 'id-Drinu' Delicata. Car Kristall can be downloaded for free. The album was produced with the aid of the Malta Arts Fund.