Thai rapper YOUNGOHM released the stirring visual for “บางกอกเลกาซี่” (Bangkok Legacy) today (October 6), the title track off his 2020 debut album.
The Bangkok native is known as one of the most formidable voices in contemporary Thai hip hop. The thematic and visual portrayal of Bangkok in the accompanying video serves as a powerful commentary on the current political tension and the passion erupting from his fellow citizens.
The video was released on the 45th anniversary of the “6 October 1976 massacre,” a brutal event that saw “at least 46 student protesters […] shot, beaten to death or hanged from trees when they gathered at Bangkok’s Thammasat University to demonstrate against the return of a military dictator who was ousted just three years earlier,” according to a Yahoo! news article about activists commemorating the event. “No one has ever been held accountable, and annual efforts to mark the day have in recent years been met with resistance from university authorities — this year being no different,” it adds.
YOUNGOHM also shared graphic images of the 1976 events on Instagram, writing, “ปีนี้ พ.ศ. 2564 ดูเหมือนว่าสิ่งเลวร้ายเหล่านี้จะยังคงหลงเหลืออยู่ไม่มากก็น้อย แต่ก็ยังดีที่เรามีอินเตอร์เน็ตให้ค้นคว้าหาข้อมูล ให้ได้ถกเถียงกัน ถ้าเป็นในยุคนั้นผู้คนคงโดนสื่อครอบงำและชักจูงได้ง่ายเหลือเกิน ผมอยากให้เพื่อนๆพี่ๆน้องๆได้ลองค้นคว้าศึกษาเรื่องราวต่างๆหลายเหตุการณ์สำคัญที่เกิดขึ้นในประเทศเรา ที่มันไม่เคยมีอยู่ในตำราเรียนเลย เมื่อเรารู้จักอดีตและเรียนรู้จากมัน มันคงเป็นผลดีต่อปัจจุบันและอนาคตของพวกเราอย่างแน่นอน. ขอสดุดีวีรชนผู้กล้าทุกท่านทั้งในอดีตและปัจจุบัน. ประชาธิปไตยจงเจริญ.”
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(Translation: This year, it seems that more or less, these bad things will remain. But it’s still good that we have the Internet to research information [from]. To debate if [we] were in that era, people would be overwhelmed and easily influenced by the media. I would like my friends and sisters to try to research many important events that happened in our country. that it never existed in a textbook. When we know the past and learn from it, it will definitely benefit our present and future. Salute to all the brave heroes of the past and present. Prosperous democracy.”)
The video reenacts vivid scenes of civil unrest, with masked civilians being arrested and tear-gassed, including shots of the artist directly confronting policemen forming a riot shield and standing alongside protesters who wave signs in the air with words like “REVOLUTION” and “FREEDOM” written on them.
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Arriving at a turbulent sociopolitical moment in Thailand today, “Bangkok Legacy” depicts alleged reports of police brutality and calls for police reform. The video ends with a display of solidarity from fellow Thai hip hop artists, including NGAZand YOUNGGU.
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Check out the music video below:
Stream Bangkok Legacy:
