It didn’t go down too well with members of the Newport hip-hop faction
Cult Welsh hip-hop group Goldie Lookin Chain have hit back at Prime Minister Boris Johnson after he appeared to mimic their lyrics in an interview.
Johnson attended a vaccination centre in Cwmbran, Wales, earlier this week – close to GLC’s hometown of Newport.
Speaking to reporters on the topic of the vaccine rollout, the Prime Minister appeared to riff on lyrics from Goldie Lookin Chain’s 2011 hit Fresh Prince of Cwmbran.
He said: “I’ve been all around the world from LA to Japan, I’ve never found a place with vaccines like Cwmbran.”
This was seen as a play on the GLC lyric “I went around the world from LA to Japan, I never found a place with parking quite like Cwmbran”.
"I've been all around the world from LA to Japan, I've never found a place with vaccines like Cwmbran"@BorisJohnson takes inspiration from @theGLC to praise efforts at a Cwmbran vaccination centre https://t.co/FgtlVr13Dk pic.twitter.com/XOeaRB3RM4
— ITV Wales News (@ITVWales) February 17, 2021
This didn’t go down all too well with some local residents. On Twitter, @travelbokke wrote: “His presence has sullied the town of my birth”.
Another user questioned whether the Prime Minister’s visit could even be deemed essential.
“Why is this an essential journey? He should have been turned him away as a risk to the public. We don’t want him in Wales at all especially where vaccines are being given to vulnerable groups.”
The lyrical play didn’t sit well with members of GLC, either.
In response to the ITV News clip, band member Mike Balls shared an image with the caption “keep my name out of your mouth”.
https://t.co/yNp6YsKy8h pic.twitter.com/r7WAF2PpiS
— Mike Balls (@MikeBallsGLC) February 17, 2021
It should be pointed out that the vaccination programme is a devolved issue, with distribution of the Covid-19 jab across Wales managed by the Welsh government.
Elsewhere in the interview, Johnson hinted at a potential April date for the reopening of pubs and restaurants across the UK.
“We’ll be setting out what we can on Monday the 22nd about the way ahead.
“It will be based firmly on a cautious and prudent approach to coming out of lockdown in such a way as to be irreversible.”
The UK’s R rate is currently at its lowest since July 2020.
