Claude Agius was just 15 years old when he began rapping about Malta. He speaks to Gordon Watson about why he uses music as a weapon against political power.

When it comes to politics, rapper Claude Agius has one key rule: “I don’t mince my words”.

The performer from the rap group Il-Lapes was one of the stand-out artists at an anti-corruption concert in Valletta earlier this month.

His strong lyrics belted out in Maltese to roaring applause from the audience of hundreds included: “The two are accomplices/ and have killed more than one of us” and “There is no right or left because both sides are corrupt.”

The 26-year-old told Times of Malta that he was proud to be part of the first national protest concert along with fellow artists Brikkuni, Beangrowers and Ċikku l-Poplu.

“I was not representing any party, not Labour or Nationalist. I was there representing the Maltese people,” he said.

It was the first time musicians were asked to perform at the protests calling for justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia and those involved in well-documented corrupt practices to be investigated and punished.

This is a divide and conquer mentality when we should really be uniting and holding those at the top to account

He said that events like these show his followers that he is paying close attention to how the country is run and that he is not afraid to voice his views.

“Politics interests me, it affects me, it affects all Maltese citizens, I think my followers like it when I say what I feel,” he said.

The musician has spent the past 11 years rapping about what he sees as the problems within Maltese mentality.

He began early: at just 15. In that time, he believes Maltese politics and politicians have exploited divisions in Malta to gain power.

“This was used by Julius Caesar, Napoleon and Adolf Hitler. It is how you gain power to your party. Leaders like to divide the people to ensure competition among the people. Unfortunately, there is always the ‘us’ and the ‘them’ and that is unfortunately how we find ourselves in this situation today,” he said.

Mr Agius said division has always been a part of the Maltese culture whether it was over which football team people support or if they feel more connected to Italy or the United Kingdom.

“When this division is only sports or competition related it is all fun and games, but when this is used in relation to politics, it becomes very disruptive because we treat politicians like gods,” he said.

Asked what he thinks about people who feel frightened to speak, he responded with the need for understanding but in the same breath stressed that people need to cast off these differences, unite and hold those at the top to account.

“There are families in their sitting rooms and they watch people on TV and they try to pick out if they are Labour or Nationalist.

“That is our mentality. This is a divide and conquer mentality when we should really be uniting and holding those at the top to account. Otherwise, they will just get rich and carry on with their lives,” he added.

A crowd in Valletta for a national protest against corruption held in the first week of January. Photo: Repubblika

Mr Agius’s performance came during a time of heightened political crisis as Joseph Muscat faced calls to step down. Now that he is gone and a new prime minister is in power, what should Robert Abela’s focus be?

“They need to regain our reputation because of what happened,” Mr Agius said.

As for the rapper, he will continue to hold the government to account, in his own inimitable style.

“Politics interests me, it affects me, it affects all Maltese citizens, I think my followers like it when I say what I feel,” he said.