"It's out of context." Guest of the show Quelle Époque Saturday night on France 2, the singer Gims was asked about his recent statements on Egypt, which have caused controversy. He explained that his words had been taken "out of context" and added that he could "not say that there was electricity at the top of the pyramids".
At the end of March, the rapper had triggered an uproar after holding a conspiracy speech on the YouTube channel Oui Hustle. During their discussion, Gims declared: "The pyramids that we see, at the top there is gold, and gold is the best conductor for electricity... They were damn antennas! People had electricity (...) and historians know that."
"Gold at the top of the pyramids is the best conductor for electricity" @GIMS "the electrician"
👉 returns for the first time to his controversial statement that has been much talked about (especially on this network)
📺 #QuelleEpoque @France2tv @LeaSalame pic.twitter.com/3EGlcOz3xg 🗣️
"What a time! (@QuelleEpoqueOff) May 27, 2023
This theory is part of the well-known conspiracy theories circulating about the Egyptian pyramids on social networks, and has been dismantled several times by historians.
'Shocked that this is taking on so much momentum'
Gims states that this statement was taken out of full discussion, "it's out of context, it was a word I said at that time to give reason to what I said before." In the previous conversation, "I was talking about Africa before, about unity, about ideas, about solidarity, and I gave the pyramids as an example because it's fascinating."
He explains that he spoke of the pyramids to recall the greatness of Africa in civilizational history. "It was an example for Africa to say: look what they managed to do it's crazy, apparently they had electricity," he says, adding, "it's a theory."
" READ ALSO "The fast-food of conspiracy": why Egypt and its pyramids feed fanciful theories
The rapper still seems to believe in this hypothesis, even if he then adds that he can not "affirm that there was electricity at the top of the pyramids, I can not sign it on a paper". He adds that he thinks "that the subject of Egypt should remain something fascinating, mysterious", and explains that he was "shocked that it is taking so much magnitude".
"I know I'm a loudspeaker, that I'm being listened to"
Maître Gims also returned to a controversy dating from early 2022. In a video posted on his social networks, he asked his fans to stop wishing him a Happy New Year, because of his Muslim religious beliefs. "Did the companions (of the prophet) celebrate the New Year? No. Guys, please stop," he said.
The video had obviously triggered a controversy on the side of the far right, and Gims now says he "regrets" his words. "I shouldn't have made this video, it wasn't good," he says, "I'm sorry, my mother is a Christian, my father is a Christian, they are in Christmas and all this so indirectly they are also the ones who are shocked."
He adds that he wanted to delete his video, but it was then too late, it had already circulated too much. "We have the right (to make mistakes, editor's note)," he says, adding that he could make others in the future, "I try to make as little as possible, I know that I am a speaker, that I am listened to, but this is something that I can not assimilate all the time."
