BBC slammed for rap claiming royals killed Diana
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-04-05 08:58

The BBC faces criticism for airing a controversial rap song that compares Queen Elizabeth II to Saddam Hussein and accuses the royal family of murdering Princess Diana.

"Great Britain", written and performed by Scor-Zay-Zee -- a hip-hop performer who has recently converted to Islam -- is a strongly worded diatribe against the British way of life.

"The BBC should not be playing this song," John Beyer, the director of Mediawatch UK, told The Sunday Telegraph.

"There is no justification for giving airspace to something as offensive as this," he added.

The rapper claims that Britain's young people are being "brain-washed and put in a daze" by an out-of-control consumer culture.

Over the course of the four-minute song the lyrics also manage to take potshots at Britain's support for Israel and its special relationship with the United States, which is labelled "The Devil."

"Sit back and watch some TV Great Britain, Watch the adverts and buy shit, Great Britain, Everything on finance for you Great Britain, A slave to the system every day Great Britain, While the rich take over your brain Great Britain," one verse goes.

The track saves it most damning criticism for the royal family which it accuses of carrying out thefts and killings.

"Slavery made the riches of Great Britain, the queen wears stolen diamonds, her husband's a Freemason, they killed Lady Di," it says.

"The queen lives in an house like Saddam Hussein. They're both rich so I guess they are one and the same," it adds.