My Culture

About

Released in April 2002, My Culture was a collaboration between Robbie Williams, Maxi Jazz of Faithless, and multimedia duo One Giant Leap. Written by Williams, Jazz, Jamie Catto, Duncan Bridgeman and Nigel Butler, the track fused electronica, world music and spoken word, forming part of One Giant Leap’s global project exploring “unity through diversity.” It reached number nine in the UK Singles Chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video.

The song contrasts Williams’ introspective verses with Jazz’s spiritual reflections, creating a dialogue between self-awareness and universal connection. Williams revisited his spoken-word poem Hello Sir from his debut album Life Thru a Lens, adapting its defiant tone to fit the song’s theme of identity and heritage. “My name’s Rob, I’m the one who landed the pop star’s job,” he declares, while Jazz delivers meditative counterpoints on compassion, ancestry and faith.

If I don’t see that I’m strong, then I won’t be. I never want to shame the blood in my veins or bring pain to my sweet grandfather’s face.Maxi Jazz

The accompanying video, directed by Tim Hope, combined animation and live action to depict the evolution of human civilisation, ending with a rocket carrying children from every culture into space. Williams appears performing amid scenes of British suburbia, while Jazz delivers his lines directly to camera. A bold fusion of art, technology and message, My Culture bridged genres and generations — pairing Williams’ self-reflective honesty with Jazz’s calm wisdom to create one of his most experimental and resonant collaborations.