Waxploitation isn’t just the management arm of Gnarls Barkley. For the past three years, the LA-based company has waged a public campaign to draw attention to the Darfur conflict.
The Darfur conflict began in 2003 when bands of rebels, which have since coalesced into the Sudanese Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality Movement, launched attacks against garrisons of the Sudanese military. In response, the government enlisted militias known as the Janjaweed to conduct reprisals. As the conflict mushroomed into a national crisis, hundreds of thousands of people were killed, and over two million displaced from their homes, according to United Nations estimates. All sides of the conflict, including the Sudanese government, have been accused of war crimes and genocide.
In 2004, Waxploitation issued Genocide in Sudan, a compilation that raised humanitarian funds for people affected by the Darfur conflict. One of its best tracks was “Paint by Numbers,” a collaboration between Murs and Danger Mouse. It also began holding a benefit auction on Ebay. Now in its third year, this year’s Charity Auction for Darfur began on January 12. All of the proceeds will go to Oxfam, Save Darfur Coalition and Human Rights Watch. The auction ends on February 4.
In related news, a coalition of activists led by Seattle rapper Alexander “Alexipharmic” Hallett organized the Save Darfur Tour, a nationwide trek featuring several underground rap groups. Some of the tour’s sponsors include Scion, Playboy and Bebo.
Some of the items you can bid on include a T-shirt signed by Common and a lithograph of the cover art from Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” single signed by its illustrator, Tom Hingston.
“Even though Darfur has become a prominent issue, it’s important we don’t forget that it’s a dire crisis there that is getting worse,” says Waxploitation founder Jeff Antebi in a press release. “We can’t assume the attention Darfur is getting is the same thing as assistance. Real help is as crucial now as it ever was.”
Meanwhile, the Save Darfur Tour is winding its way through the country. Lineups for each date vary, and additional tour dates are still being organized. Each show features the Visionaries, Grayskul, Sleep feat. Rocket One, Peg Leg, former Arsonists rapper Freestyle and Alexipharmic.
- 1/21: Abbey Pub, Chicago, IL
- 1/22: Spin, Indianapolis, IN
- 1/23: Michigan State, Lansing, MI
- 1/24: Blind Pig, Ann Arbor, MI
- 1/26: Nightlight Lounge, Bellingham, WA
- 1/27: Nectar Lounge, Seattle, WA
- 1/28: Hawthorne Theater, Portland, OR
- 1/29: Taboo, Eugene, OR
- 1/31: Elbo Room, San Francisco, CA
- 2/05: Chasers, Scottsdale, AZ
- 2/07: Memorial Hall, Orange, CA
- 2/08: Viper Room, Los Angeles, CA
1/27-1/29: w/Ohmega Watts, Braille
1/31: w/Unified School District, Halo and Tic Toc
www.waxploitation.com
www.savedarfurtour.com
