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Hip-hop legend yasiin bey to headline social justice concert in Copenhagen, Denmark

FAIR PLAY: LIVE 2018 23 OCTOBER 2018 // 19:00 // VEGA, COPENHAGEN

Legendary hip-hop icon and activist yasiin bey (formerly known as Mos Def) will headline Fair Play: Live 2018, an international music event bringing together musicians from around the world to perform in support of social justice. The event takes place at renowned venue, VEGA, in Copenhagen, Denmark on 23 October 2018.

Hailed by the New York Times as “one of the most inherently musical rappers of all time”, yasiin bey is a committed social activist. He has campaigned against racism and police brutality in the US as well as for anti-imperialist causes around the globe, and used his fame to raise awareness of the plight of Guantanamo Bay prisoners by undergoing forced feeding.

bey now lends his voice to the global struggle against corruption by headlining Fair Play 2018. He wants to draw attention to the devastating effects corruption has on millions of people’s lives around the world. Corruption can cost people their freedom, health, money, and even their lives.

Fair Play: Live 2018 is a youth-driven initiative and part of the International Anti-Corruption Conference (22-24 October, 2018) organised by Transparency International, the global organisation leading the fight against corruption.

Opening for bey are the 2018 winners of the Fair Play online music video competition, an international initiative that raises awareness around the impact of corruption on local communities. The winners were chosen from 43 entries from 21 countries. They are:

  • Malawian afro-soul one-man-band Faith Mussa, who has taken his socially-engaged musical outlook around the world, from TEDxLilongwe to Glastonbury 2017. He is known locally for campaigning against corruption and other social ills.
  • Rain in Sahara, an Indian hip-hop fusion trio who received critical acclaim for their breakthrough music video ‘Black Water’, a recent Gold Medal winner at the Indian Music Video Awards. It tackles issues of corruption, inequality and environmental damage.
  • Colombian band Haga Que Pase, who fuse the sounds of urban Cali with those of rural Columbia to create a vibrant groove which chronicles the lives of everyday Colombians and indigenous people, providing a positive message for those living through difficult political conditions.

The concert also features previous Fair Play winner Nasseman, the prolific reggae artist and social activist, who uses his voice to bring hope and consciousness to the plight of the poor throughout his native Liberia.

Doors open at 18:00 and the performance will run from 19:00 onwards. You can reserve your ticket online via Ticketmaster.

Fair Play is a global nonprofit music initiative run by JM International (www.jmi.net) and Transparency International (www.transparency.org). It is a network of young, socially engaged musicians from around the world, who are speaking out against the injustices faced in their communities. Fair Play leverages the power of music, amplifying their voices and engaging youth in the fight against injustice and corruption.


For any press enquiries please contact

Transparency International Press Office
T: +49 30 34 38 20 666
E: [email protected]