Yizzy has called Vue Cinemas “disgusting” for banning Rapman’s film Blue Story from its cinemas.
The chain pulled any further screenings of the movie from its 91 cinemas after a fight broke out on Saturday (November 23) at a Vue cinema in Birmingham while the film was being shown.
A second cinema chain, Showcase, also initially banned Blue Story on Sunday following the brawl, in which 100 youths attacked each other with weapons including machetes. But Showcase reversed its decision on Monday, after a public backlash saying the movie shouldn’t be held responsible for any attendant violence.
London rapper Yizzy hit out at the ban after seeing the film yesterday (November 25). “I think it’s disgusting for Vue Cinemas to pin this outlier of violence on Blue Story and its success,” he told NME. “You can’t pin the actions of one group of people on a whole film, that’s ridiculous.”
Yizzy, who recently released Dizzee Rascal collaboration ‘Back It’, said the ban was a typical example of trying to stop young black talent from succeeding. “It’s another example of the success of a young, black entrepreneur getting shut down for bringing something great to light,” he said.
Blue Story director Rapman told NME his film shows the futility of gang warfare, having grown up in Lewisham, South London.
Yizzy, who also grew up in Lewisham, believes Vue’s ban shows they don’t understand the film’s message. “As Rapman has said himself, Blue Story is a film about love, it’s not a film about violence,” Yizzy told NME. “It’s about positivity, trying to showcase another way of life that’s not necessarily portrayed in the everyday media.”
Vue Cinemas issued a statement claiming there were “25 significant incidents” of violence at its cinemas in the first 24 hours since the film’s release. But Yizzy said: “Blue Story goes beyond the stereotypes of the area. And here we are, that’s being combated – it’s the same old story of ‘Let’s make life difficult for the young, black entrepreneur telling the real story.'”
Having worked with Dizzee on ‘Back It’, Yizzy revealed the pair will work on additional tracks together – and that he is also working with Big Narstie. “I’ve got a big year ahead in 2020. Some of the names I’m working with are big, and I can’t say who all of them are,” he said. “I can tell you I’m doing some things with Big Narstie – and that I’ll be back with Dizzee Rascal. ‘Back It’ isn’t the only song we’ll make together, I can say that.”