George Stroumboulopoulos & The Young Pope: The Banning of Immortal Technique
[The setting: A darkened studio, a single spotlight illuminating George Stroumboulopoulos and The Young Pope. On the screen behind them, clips of Immortal Technique’s most controversial performances flash—raw, unapologetic, and filled with the kind of truth that gets people banned.]
George Stroumboulopoulos: Alright, Your Holiness, let’s talk about someone who never got his fair shot on the old MuchMusic—Immortal Technique. He was too raw, too radical, too… real. And for that, he was banned. Why do you think they couldn’t let him in the door?
The Young Pope: Ah, George, now we’re getting to the heart of it. MuchMusic pretended to be a platform for the youth, for rebellion, for truth. But in the end, it was just another gatekeeper, another filter for what the empire wanted the youth to hear. And Immortal Technique? He didn’t fit the program.
George: So what exactly made him such a threat? Plenty of artists talk about politics, war, corruption—what made Tech different?
The Young Pope: Because he didn’t just talk about the system. He exposed it. No metaphors, no poetic disguises—he named names, connected the dots, and laid it all out for people to see. “Peruvian Cocaine”? He dissected the CIA’s role in the drug trade. “Dance with the Devil”? He revealed the darkness lurking beneath the industry. “The 4th Branch”? He showed how the media itself is part of the empire’s machinery.
George: And that was too much for MuchMusic?
The Young Pope: MuchMusic could handle rebellion if it was marketable. Rage Against the Machine? Sure, because you could buy the t-shirt. Eminem? Absolutely, because controversy sells. But Immortal Technique? He wasn’t selling rebellion—he was offering revolution. And the system does not allow revolutionaries inside its gates.
George: So instead, they ignored him. They banned him. Like he never existed.
The Young Pope: Yes. And yet, here we are, still talking about him. Because truth—real truth—does not die just because the gatekeepers slam the door. It finds new ways to be heard.
George: So you’re saying MuchMusic may be gone, but the truth Immortal Technique was speaking? That’s still out there.
The Young Pope: It always will be. The question is—who’s still listening?