360's Reaction To 'Herald Sun's "Idiotic" Column Is Perfect

A snide and apparently poorly researched Herald Sun opinion piece regarding 360‘s recent controversial comments about racism in Australia has been labelled “absurd” by the rapper in a wonderfully articulate Facebook post. 360 tore the column to shreds as he levelled his sights on the piece’s author, Tom Elliott.

Posting on Facebook, 360 — real name Matt Colwell — responsed to Elliott’s article titled Matt You Need To Get Out More in yesterday’s Herald Sun (also published as Rapper 360 Is Wrong To Call Australians Racist on the paper’s official website).

The rapper says he is “tired of being misquoted and taken out of context” and was moved to reply to Elliot’s piece because it’s a misrepresentation of his Q&A comments and his music.

“I feel that your article written at me, calling me stupid warrants a response,” wrote Colwell before dismantling Elliot’s work. 360 points out Elliot’s inaccurate quotes, stressing that he “never said “the australian flag was racist” (first misquotation), I said ‘in the example given, I associate the Australian Flag with racism.'”

The main beef 360 has with Elliot is his consistent attempts to redirect from issues of racism in Australia by pointing out worse situations overseas. To Elliot’s question of whether Colwell would have the stones to “criticise the black-and-white Islamic State flag in front of its fanatical followers?” 360 retaliates with, “I find this question absurd.”

“The very idea this long rhetoric talking about all of the horrible things that happen in other countries around the world to justify that Australia is A-OK in comparison is idiotic,” writes Colwell, tearing Elliot a new one. “It’s like two people who have depression arguing with each other about who is more sad because of the things that have happened to them – but which case of depression is more important? They are both important they’re just different.”

’60 astutely points out that racism and forms of discrimination, and mental health issues for that matter, don’t have to reach extremist level before they should be addressed. “What I’m saying here is that racism in whatever form it takes is racism just because people aren’t cutting off arms or literally crucifying [each other] … in Australia doesn’t mean that other bad things aren’t happening.”

The Australian MC also pulls up Elliot when trying to use his own lyrics against him. Elliot quoted lyrics from 360 single Sixavelli, writing in his article, “For a man who claims to despise racism, some of 360’s lyrics are perplexing. In his 2014 track entitled Sixavelli he proclaims: “Whole world on my shoulders didn’t think that I could balance it. But it’s lighter than you think just like Michael Jackson’s kids.”

As Colwell is quick to point out those lyrics are actually from Sixavelli featured rapper Lunar C. “You stumbled on some words, laughed to yourself, shook your head thinking “got him” and wrote some more totally irrelevant words,” posted Colwell, setting up for another burn. “Guess what? The words you quoted ARENT EVEN MY LYRICS (another misquotation), and alas it’s all irrelevant anyway because Sixavelli is a parody.”

Colwell notes that “its a shame” that his “stance on homophobia, mental illness and alcoholism”, which he also addressed on Q&A have been overlooked. “The only thing people are focussing on is what i said about our flag, not the actual problem at hand.”

Colwell concludes the matter for good, sarcastically thanking Elliot and stating he’s done justifying his comments. “Anyway thanks for the history lesson mate – this is the last i will be talking about on this issue.”

You can read 360’s full post below.