Straight outta Flogsta

That you freeze your ass off in the rooms, that the corridor smells of feet, and – most importantly – that Heimstaden steal the tenants’ stuff are some of the things we learn in the rap song “Straight outta Flogsta”, which was released November 30th in the Facebook group “Flogsta 2016-2017”. The song and accompanying video, recorded in Flogsta of course, became an overnight success with presently more than 360 “likes”, “hearts” and “hahas” in the Facebook group.
I meet up with Fat Slag, Brexit Bitch and Big Gio, the somewhat young rap prodigies behind the hit song, in their fourth floor corridor in Flogsta where it all began. As we sit down in their communal kitchen, they tell me that their squad name, Your Mum’s Applesauce, is a tribute to Fat Slag’s and Big Gio’s Belgian heritage.
– Belgian applesauce is so much better than the Swedish one, they insist.
I let the hurtful remark slide.
Though Sweden’s shitty applesauce seems to be the least of their problems if you are to believe their catchy song. The biggest being the loss of their corridor speakers.
– It was a sad loss. It’s still a bit difficult to talk about, Brexit Bitch says.
To rap about it is apparently easier. In the chorus of “Straight outta Flogsta” the squad repeats the line “Fuck the fucking cleaner and his dirty fucking ways, the cleaner took our speakers so we’re taking him away”. I ask them if they don’t think this song might hurt the cleaner’s feelings if he heard it.
– I think we’re more hurt, Fat Slag answers, and Brexit Bitch clarifies:
– It’s more of a scathing attack on Heimstaden, it’s just unfortunate that “the cleaner” fits so well into the song.
And when the question comes up of what the worst part about living in Flogsta is, the squad’s answer is quite given: Heimstaden.
– Their continual raising of rents with no warning, entering flats and changing things with no warning and just being massive shits in general. We’ve got a movement going against them here and we have thousands devoted to it in the streets, Brexit Bitch says and the others agree.
– We don’t want any more speakers to be stolen or parties to be ruined, Fat Slag says.
The best parts about Flogsta are the people and the parties, the trio claim. Also, sometimes they get together and make brownies and eat them, “which is also nice”, they tell me.
– It’s good that Ica is close by, Big Gio says.
And of course, they give a shout out to the Flogsta scream.

The lyrics to “Straight outta Flogsta” was written and produced collaboratively by the three squad members, with huge hip-hop names, such as The Notorious B.I.G. and gangsta rap pioneers N.W.A., used as an inspiration.
– We took a lot of inspiration from “Straight outta Compton” obviously. Our song is a lot about the society falling apart here. But while N.W.A. were saying “fuck the police”, we’re saying “fuck Heimstaden”, Big Gio explains.
Your Mum’s Applesauce claim that the fame that has come with their rap debut has made it difficult for them to go out in public.
– I wear a brown paper bag over my head most days because I just can’t handle the publicity, Brexit Bitch says.
Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why the group members are already predicting their own break-up in the near future.
– We’ve been having some artistic differences and also, these guys will be going back to Belgium and we don’t have the money to fly back and forth, Brexit Bitch says.
But before they go their separate ways, Your Mum’s Applesauce are hoping to do a performance at Kalmar nation, though it seems unclear if the nation in question has been informed about this.
– I don’t think that will be a problem, Fat Slag says.
When I ask if they have last words to add, they of course say “fuck Heimstaden”, but also emphasise that they don’t want any actual physical harm to anyone.
Just before I leave, I get a whiff of the corridor’s scent, and sure enough, it smells a bit of feet.