Bloc Party singer speaks out against racism and reveals personal tragedy

Bloc Party singer speaks out against racism and reveals personal tragedy Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke has spoken to NME.COM about a race attack tragedy that affected his family. Speaking to the rag as part of their link up with Love Music Hate Racism, the singer spoke of the moment his fears about racism were realised.
He said: “A few years ago my cousin was killed in a racist attack and a lot of the anxieties I had as a young person really compounded recently.” Talking about the first time he encountered racism, he said: “The only thing I can remember is when I was around four years old and I was in a playground and some kid made a comment. That was the first time I realised I had different coloured skin to other people… as a four year old realising that you’re different, realising that although you live in this country there are certain avenues and doors that are closed to you.”

Kele said that his decision to join NME and Love Music Hate Racism’s campaign was to stand against recent activity by the British National Party, saying: “I was told about the situation with the BNP handing out racist music outside schools and I thought that was a really abhorrent thing because young minds are impressionable. Anything that I could do to try to stem that is completely fine with me.”
“We live in a bubble in London that isn’t the same as certain parts of the rest of the UK and you can’t forget that. There are places we’ve played in the UK where they really don’t see non-white faces.”
A remix of Bloc Party’s ‘Where Is Home’ by Diplo features on NME’s free Love Music Hate Racism CD, available on the cover of this week’s NME, on sale at newsstands now. The double CD comes free with this week’s NME, in partnership with Love Music Hate Racism, who are making a stand against the BNP and their targeting of schools. The two discs contain a mix of new songs, hidden tracks, live versions and remixes, also featuring The Enemy, The View and more.