Next week, Australia’s look-at-me glitterati and a raucous bunch of twenty-somethings will become awkward allies in the annual ritual of alcohol and gambling called the Melbourne Cup, aka The race that stops a nation. Many of them will have horrible hangovers the day after but much more importantly, horses will be harmed. And they didn’t choose to participate.
Seven horses have died during the Melbourne Cup in the last decade, with many others being euthanised in related incidents. Beyond the deaths of individual horses, the list of welfare concerns includes the culling of ‘uncompetitive’ animals. Animal rights activists also object to whipping and tongue ties and say that racing can cause health issues such as bleeding from lungs and stomach ulcers*.
Upwards of $223million is gambled on the Melbourne Cup every year**, contributing to the $9billion Australians lose betting on sports and racing annually***. The race is also linked with increased alcohol abuse and has started to evolve from ‘the race that stops a nation’ to ‘the race that divides the nation’.
Creative, agency, Cocogun, and African-Australian rap artist and producer, Chandler Jewels, have reawakened the protest song. Theirs is a rap, called F*ck The Cup, and it asks, “Who’s the animals running this race?”.
F*ck The Cup was composed, produced and co-written by Chandler Jewels, with lyrics co-written by Ant Melder, creative partner and founder of Cocogun. The track is a scathing rebuke to the annual event which has been broadly criticised for animal welfare issues and its focus on gambling. Its hard-hitting video has been directed by mp4Oscar.
Chandler Jewels stated, “I embraced the chance to create a protest song about animal cruelty, especially the heartbreaking fate of horses after the Melbourne Cup. Music has the power to spark change, and I wanted to use it to bring to light the cruelty that’s happening.”
Ant Melder added, “F*ck The Cup follows in the great tradition of musicians, from Bob Dylan, Nina Simone and Paul Kelly to The Clash, Public Enemy, Midnight Oil and Kendrick Lamar, using their art as a force for change. Chandler’s track is a powerful contemporary addition to the protest song cannon. It’s designed to spark debate and agitate for change.”
Mp4Oscar commented, “Having the ability to create with meaning is a great thing that should be practised by more creatives and directors in a world full of commercial works.”
F*ck The Cup is live from today on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and IHeartRadio.
Credits:
Creative Agency: Cocogun
Writers: Chandler Jewels & Ant Melder
Composer & Producer: Chandler Jewels
Cover Art: Shev Tan, Mollie Starr, Loz Maneschi, Chris Clausen & Jimmy Williams
Vibe Consultant: Lewis Clark
Video Director: mp4Oscar
DoP: Adz Mov
VFX + colour: Macs Dona
Set Design: Juin Cze
