Born to Ugandan parents on the St Raphael's Estate in Harlesden, London, George began performing rap and grime when he was 15 years old. He attended Queen Elizabeth's School in Barnet and studied politics, psychology and sociology at King's College, Cambridge.
In May 2012, he premiered the piece My City. Subsequently, BBC Radio 1 selected him as the face of their Hackney Weekend. He signed to Island Records in August 2013.
In October 2014, Mpanga released the EP The Chicken and the Egg and the single 1,2,1,2 (once again with Bodhi).
2015 saw the release of Cat D and Wotless.
http://iamgeorgethepoet.co.uk
Search Party
George the Poet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Please read the pages
My policies focus on social enterprise
Better education and decent wages
And as long as you wanna be courageous
Promise you we're gonna see some changes
I said I promise you we're gonna see some changes
You can feel that it's real 'cause you know it
I speak for the people 'cause that's what a poet's born to do
So when you think about it, I owe this all to you
I'm making money for the industry off the things you taught me
And that's never gonna feel right to me, unless you rise with me
Ride with me, since you brought me
To a place where I don't have to write for free
I paint a portrait of ends at these corporate events
And you know me, I'm never scared of causing offence
But they respect it 'cause they know, what I'm talking is sense
Ay trust me they'll pay you more than Β£1.50
So there must be a way you all can come with me
Why should I be the only one with a belly
Like I learned all of this sitting in front of the telly?
I learned it from you, my family and friends
You give me clarity of and sense
So I can do my job, that means it's on you who my salary depends
You need to get this album and bang it in the ends
I feel to have a ballot in the ends
Nah, seriously there's too much talent in the ends
Certain man who never made it out the strip
They're the same ones who taught me how to spit
They deserve their credit in history
I told you's lot already, don't embed it in mystery
So I gave you the manifesto of my search party
Please read the pages
My policies focus on social enterprise
Better education and decent wages
And as long as you wanna be courageous
Promise you we're gonna see some changes
I said as long as you wanna be courageous
I promise you we're gonna see some changes
So if you're in anyway interested in
The future of the world you've invested in
The destiny of the place you now reside
After all the conventional powers died
Please consider walking down to our side
We can talk about the widening North and South divide
And of course the housing prices, which are now in crisis
We hold discussions on property value and how it rises
And even when we don't have the answers
We'll be happy to direct you to where all the sound advice is
Thank you, see, thank you
See our policies might not always sound the nicest
But you finally found the guy that's down to fight this
I don't believe being unemployed makes you null and void
And I won't just lie to you when you become annoyed
I was once a boy who would jump for joy
At something as trivial as a bunch of toys
But in adult life, that becomes a ploy to help you side-step
The things you might want to avoid
And at this stage of my life, I've come to a point
Where I wanna get anyone and everyone who wants a voice
To come and help me make some constructive noise
Trust in choice, empowerment and participation
That's now essential for our situation
'Cause the solution is not some half-arsed litigation
Masquerading as a first class dissertation
That ultimately won't pass the curation stage
And therefore won't last the duration
The solution's commitment to the task that we're facing
I accept this challenge and I'm asking for patience
In the manifesto of my search party
Please read the pages
My policies focus on social enterprise
Better education and decent wages
And as long as you wanna be courageous
Promise you we're gonna see some changes
I said as long as you wanna be courageous
I promise you we're gonna see some changes
Thank you, thank you
Now that's why that shit's in the back of my mind as well
It's like that bruv, 'cause I've seen
In George The Poet's song Search Party, the artist addresses his audience as the leader of his own search party, laying out his manifesto and policies for social and economic change. The lyrics reference better education and wages, the widening North/South divide, housing prices, and the value of workers' voices. George acknowledges his own position of privilege within the industry and expresses his desire to share that privilege with those who taught him his craft. He also acknowledges that the solutions to the issues at hand are not simple or easily achieved, but require a commitment to constructive noise-making and participation from everyone.
The song is a call to action for listeners to join George's search party, to unite in their desire for change and to work towards creating a better future. The artist's use of poetry, storytelling and political commentary creates a powerful message that inspires people to take action.
Line by Line Meaning
I gave you the manifesto of my search party
I have shared my plan to make changes with you
Please read the pages
I request you to go through my plan thoroughly
My policies focus on social enterprise
My plan is centered around social entrepreneurship
Better education and decent wages
My plan includes improving education and ensuring fair remuneration
And as long as you wanna be courageous
If you are willing to take bold steps
Promise you we're gonna see some changes
We will definitely witness some positive changes
I'm a natural born leader with the skills of a poet
I possess innate leadership qualities and poetic skills
You can feel that it's real 'cause you know it
You can sense the authenticity of my intentions
I speak for the people 'cause that's what a poet's born to do
As a poet, my responsibility is to give voice to the masses
So when you think about it, I owe this all to you
I am indebted to those who have inspired me
I'm making money for the industry off the things you taught me
I am earning profits from what I have learned from you
And that's never gonna feel right to me, unless you rise with me
I will not be satisfied until we all succeed together
Ride with me, since you brought me
Join me in my journey since you have been my support system
To a place where I don't have to write for free
To a point where I don't have to work for no pay
I paint a portrait of ends at these corporate events
I depict the reality of the community at corporate gatherings
And you know me, I'm never scared of causing offence
I am known for my fearlessness in speaking my mind
But they respect it 'cause they know, what I'm talking is sense
My boldness is appreciated as I make sense when I speak
Ay trust me they'll pay you more than Β£1.50
Believe me, you deserve to be paid much more than Β£1.50
So there must be a way you all can come with me
It is possible for all of us to join hands
Why should I be the only one with a belly
Why should I be the only one who is well-fed?
Like I learned all of this sitting in front of the telly?
Do you think I gained these skills by just watching TV?
I learned it from you, my family and friends
I have learned these skills from those close to me
You give me clarity of and sense
You have provided me with clarity and common sense
So I can do my job, that means it's on you who my salary depends
Since my salary comes from my work, it's your support that sustains me
You need to get this album and bang it in the ends
You should promote and share my music in the community
I feel to have a ballot in the ends
I desire to see a fair democratic process in the community
Nah, seriously there's too much talent in the ends
There is ample talent in the community
Certain man who never made it out the strip
Some people who have been stuck in their situation
They're the same ones who taught me how to spit
They are the ones who taught me how to rap
They deserve their credit in history
They deserve recognition for their contribution
I told you's lot already, don't embed it in mystery
I have already expressed to you, don't keep it a mystery
So if you're in anyway interested in
If you are at all intrigued by
The future of the world you've invested in
The future of the world that you are a part of
The destiny of the place you now reside
The fate of the community you live in
After all the conventional powers died
After the traditional power structures have failed
Please consider walking down to our side
Please join our fight for change
We can talk about the widening North and South divide
We can discuss the growing economic and social inequalities
And of course the housing prices, which are now in crisis
We also need to address the housing crisis
We hold discussions on property value and how it rises
We deliberate on the impact of rising property prices
And even when we don't have the answers
Even if we do not have solutions
We'll be happy to direct you to where all the sound advice is
We will be glad to guide you to reliable sources of information
Now that's why that shit's in the back of my mind as well
That's why these issues are always on my mind
It's like that bruv, 'cause I've seen
It's just how it is because of what I have witnessed
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: George Mpanga, DAUDI GEORGE MPANGA, MATTY BENBROOK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Link Up TV
Very very nice
might as well pass thru and do the piano version this month for us :)
HearNoSeeNo SpeakNo
Link Up TV | Music That would be amazing.
MOAK
I rate this guy for still keeping it real despite how far he's come. Respect!
davecreates
An artist who is actually out there to make a change. We need more of this type. Thank you George :)
Timothy Cole
true talk
Timothy Cole
true talk
Peter Cross
5 years on, still rings true
Josh McCormack
Finally somebody is putting a bit of sense into their bars. This song is amazing and incredible, it conveys selflessness and rings with truth. 100% smashed it bro, looking forward to hearing more.
Aaron Burge
If younger people are looking for a positive idol, I would highly recommending looking up to this gentleman and he's extremely powerful messages.
SavageAbbey
Such an inspiration! If more people listened to this and took his advice talent and truth the world would be such a better place