Bliss N Eso made their return to triple j today to announce they are teaming up with the White Ribbon Foundation, to help stop male violence against women. It was the first time the crew appeared on triple j and the station played their music, since MC Eso was caught posting misogynistic photos to Instagram.
The band acknowledged they did not realise the extent of the issue of violence against women in Australia – over 12 months, one woman is killed every week as a result of intimate partner violence – until the events that unfolded in recent months.
Earlier this year, MC Eso, or Max MacKinnon, was caught posting a series of sexist photos with waxworks of Rihanna, Raquel Welch and Lady Gaga on a recent visit to Madame Tussauds in Hollywood. Amongst the photos was one that showed the MC threateningly holding his fist up to Rihanna, referencing her 2009 assault by then-boyfriend Chris Brown. The rapper later issued a public video apology.
“I never even think more than four people [see it]… I never think of [the] whole, thousands and thousands of people,” Mc Eso explained to triple j’s The Doctor today.
“We realised [what happened] was completely unacceptable and that’s why we’re here today, to make sure we do our damndest to spread awareness about this serious issue,” MC Bliss added. “We want our fans and the country to know that we have learnt so much…We want to let everyone know that we are educating ourselves and wanting to educate the world.”
Bliss N Eso said they will be supporting the annual 2014 White Ribbon Day on Tuesday 25th November, raising money and support through the sale of a limited edition t-shirt which incorporates their message, “Peace, Love, Unity.” The tee will be available online from Flying Colours Clothing and White Ribbon’s website on White Ribbon Day.
In early September this year, triple j said they haven’t played any Bliss N Eso tracks since MC Eso’s misogyny photo scandal, and added that they won’t start again until their audience is ready. “We appreciate that Eso has apologised and believe his sincerity. We’ll wait on the audience sentiment before playing the band again,” said triple j in a statement at the time.
Today the station broke their boycott and played Bliss N Eso’s Eye Of The Storm.
White Ribbon Day takes place annually on November 25th. See more about the White Ribbon campaign here. Listen to The Doctor’s full interview with Bliss N Eso below.
We're announcing something very special this afternoon on @triplej. Tune into @Doctortriplej from 3pm ✌️ pic.twitter.com/7akZvyBF7l
— BLISS N ESO (@blissneso) November 19, 2014
