Diplo Hits Back At Haters Who Blamed Major Lazer For Cultural Appropriation

Indians taking offence to India’s cultural representation in international music videos is not new.

Remember Hymn for the Weekend? While others were blown away by the colours and over-enthusiastic underprivileged kids jumping around in the video, Indians were less than impressed and took to social media and the video’s official link on YouTube to voice their displeasure.

But long before the Coldplay+Beyoncé hit was DJ Snake and Major Lazer’s now cult party song ‘Lean On’. Filmed in India, the video showed the Major Lazer trio and MØ dancing in true Bollywood style with Indian dancers, dressed in ethnic wear. The Indian junta was not happy.

(Image Credit: www.runthetrap.com)

But recently, Diplo took to the media and voiced his displeasure.

“For me, the band that’s most influential to us is The Clash. Nobody said, ‘You’re culturally appropriating,’ when they made Rock The Casbah. I think what makes a great artist is someone who can change the direction of music, not someone who stays the same all the time. Otherwise music would be so f*cking boring.”

“When I grew up, no one told me what I was supposed to listen to. I grew up and I loved music. I didn’t think: ‘Oh, I’m white, I’ve got to play a guitar.’ I never had a guitar. I really fucked that up. I only had turntables. I wish I got a guitar, then I wouldn’t have so much criticism.”