ICYMI: Swet Shop Boys Performance of “T5” on Late Show Takes Aim at Islamophobia, Muslim Ban

Swet Shop Boys (which includes Star Wars Rogue One star Riz Ahmed, who also performs in “Immigrants, We Get the Job Done” from the Hamilton Mixtape) performed the single “T5” from their album Cashmere last week on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.  The song addresses Islamophobia, Trump’s Muslim ban, borders and post-colonialism. Check out this interview in DIY Magazine for more on the group.

Here are some of the T5 lyrics, added just for the Late Show performance:

London’s burning, trust funds are earning
Trump’s under Russia’s thumb and I’m hurting
Talking about internment, banning me from traveling
Tricky when my pic is on the in-flight magazine
Your girl can strip-search me after
They love me on the strip: Vegas or Gaza?
Do it for the mans Bannon and Trump put a ban on
And do it mask off, Future meets Fanon

London’s burning and they earning while they putting us in urns
Taking turns, rape and burn, and we pray one day they learn
We can’t flee when they treat us like dogs with the fleas
We say please but they beat us like dogs with disease
Do I aspire to a hashtag of my memory?
How many likes will the hate crime receive?
How does my accent sound when I’m crying?
How does my accent sound when I’m dying?

-JKoh