Old School Hip Hop production and boldly distinct vocals carve out an immersive and instantly recognisable lane in conceptual rap. An ever-inquisitive Juleunique artistically responds to a devastating and true modern version of the humble David taking on the seemingly unstoppable Goliath.
This is the story of José Antonio Del Valle, a Mexican entrepreneur, who founded the Go Gaba Drink company, and optimistically partnered with global beverage giant Coca-Cola – in order to drive forwards the success of his brand. Instead of finding inspiration, support and encouragement, José found himself subjected to harassment, exile, and non-advancing judicial processes.
In terms of the corporate world and capitalism, there are few bigger brand names and companies than Coca-Cola. Perhaps a monster in the field, the drinks company has taken the lead and sponsorship in a multitude of different arenas since their inception, and by all accounts, remains a figure of influence and aspiration for new starting businesses. However, with recognition comes power, and with power often comes fear and, sadly, corruption.
When José Antonio Del Valle first connected with Coca-Cola, his dream was to get his own brand to further heights and in the supporting side-lines of a universally trusted company. What happened instead, was that Coca-Cola allegedly misappropriated his intellectual property, and began marketing their own versions of Fanta Gaba and other products without consent.
José’s only option was to file criminal complaints for fraud and theft of industrial property. Both were investigated at a local and federal level, noting that José had suffered loses of around $345 million USD. Coca-Cola responded with their own civil lawsuit against him, which in time was ruled ‘without merit’ by the courts. However, in the ongoing six-year criminal investigation process against Coca-Cola, they’ve refused to have their senior executives turn up as witnesses, and there has still not been so much as a preliminary hearing on the criminal case.
Amidst Coca-Cola’s history, it was also reported in a multi-awarded documentary film, The Coke Cartel, that 11 workers in Colombia had been assassinated for being part of a union. It’s an unsettling statistic, and it appears to reinforce the sheer weight and power of a financially unstoppable brand – using extreme methods as part of a narrative of international corporate corruption and impunity.
You can also watch the documentary about José’s story on YouTube, and read the original Financial Times Article of when the story originally surfaced in 2018. In the meantime, art and music provide the antidote to destruction as ever, and Feed The Crooks explores the events and the suffering experienced by an individual at the hands of a corporate beast.
Featuring a simple and striking production of nostalgic haunting keys and a classic Hip hop beat, with visuals contrasting masked dancers with news channel clips and a series of images and references both humorous and disconcerting, Feed The Crooks is built around this simple yet distinct groove, and utilises a vocal depth and darkness that resounds amidst a memorable melody.
Juleunique’s lyrics consistently refer to the ageless theme of robbing the poor to feed the crooks. The idea repeats and resounds, gathering momentum in a way that feels brilliantly reminiscent of the early days of classic Hip Hop and Rap – even with the eerie sound of drinks being poured, drawing further focus to the specific poignancy of the story.
Far from a lyrically dense retelling of tribulation, Feed The Crooks is concise and compelling in its artistic portrayal of corruption and heartless corporate greed. It’s a likable Hip Hop track in itself, but the underlying connotations and the vast images utilised in the video, all drive home the life-threatening struggle that resulted from an aspiring entrepreneur seeking ‘fair play’ and support support from what appeared to be a respected and trusted global corporation.
As ever, art and music remain the pure and punk-rock reaction to injustice, and in many ways, this single and video capture a crucial moment and unignorable lesson from our current times.
“They got billions but no ideas, so know they going after his.”
Find Juleunique on YouTube, Instagram.
