Skunk Anansie's Skin: "I don’t think racism and prejudice ever really goes away."

13 October 2020, 13:04 | Updated: 13 October 2020, 13:22

Skunk Anansie Perform At Rock City, Nottingham in 2019 — Skin has talked about racism and prejudice and role of social media in dividing society. Picture: Katja Ogrin/Redferns/Getty Images

The Skunk Anansie rocker discussed racism with Radio X's John Kennedy and the part social media has played in dividing people.

Skin has discussed racism and said she believes social media is to blame for making matters worse.

The Skunk Anansie singer - who hails from Brixton - spoke to Radio X about her It Takes Blood and Guts memoir and her thoughts on the state of things in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.

“I have to say that I don’t think racism and prejudice ever really goes away," she told Radio X's John Kennedy. "I just think it becomes unpopular and uncool and people hide some of their true feelings…”

The Hedonism singer added: “It’s been there since the dawn of time and it will be here till the end of time, but I think humans as a race, what we do is we try to step things up so it does remain uncool and it does remain in a situation where people with those kind of viewpoints don’t get power over people who are going to be affected by it. And I think that’s the only kind of progress we can get to."

However, Skin thinks social media hasn't helped matters and has only led to further divisions.

“I honestly think before algorithms let’s say we were actually really heading in the right direction," she mused. "You would actually have people who would respect other people’s viewpoints, but now we have a situation where people are almost getting their own viewpoint no matter how crazy... it’s just fed back to them.”

“I think we’re living in a very unique time where social media is really beginning to turn against us and be successful in separating us."

The 53-year-old musician also credited The Specials as one of the bands who got her "into being a rocker".

Citing some of her inspirations, such as Blondie, she revealed: "What I really think got me into being a rocker is when The Specials came along and The Beat, because that was basically ska and ska I'd grown up with. I think in the book I say it was the anthem to my nappy changes."

The Specials in 1980 — Skin has cited The Specials as one of the bands that provided a bridge between Jamaican music and British music. Picture: Allan Tannenbaum/IMAGES/Getty Images

The Weak singer continued: "These were people that were playing reggae music really, but with a twist. They had more guitars in there and more of a drop, so that was my bridge out of Jamaican music into British music".

Speaking about their iconic Ghostown single, she recalled: "When that tune came out and that video of him just driving the back of the car, that was Brixton to me, you know. That summed up my town, and that's why that song spoke to me so much."

"That reminded me of my childhood and my Brixton that had two riots in 1981 and 1985," she added. "Forgotten towns".