"Zebda" (زبدة, transliterated "Zibdah"), the Arabic word for butter ("beurre" in French), is a play on the word "beur", a French slang word referring to French citizens of Arab origin""En verlan, arabe se dit beur. En arabe, beurre se dit Zebda."""English": "In verlan, "beur" means Arab. In Arabic, "Zebda" means butter ["beurre"]."</ref>—several of the group's members are of North African and other immigrant descent. As Zebda was originally formed for a community organization and many of the members met through social initiatives and activism, the band remained highly political throughout its existence; Bruce Crumley of the Culture Kiosque has called the group "politically engaged and culturally committed" and "politically progressive." Much of the group's music and lyrics have centered on issues of political and social justice among the immigrant community and inhabitants of the "banlieues". In fact, Bangor University's Jonathan Ervine, in a deconstructive analysis of Zebda's music and identity, states that "Zebda's music invokes both the virtues of multiculturalism and the problems that exist within French society regarding the treatment of immigrants, ethnic minorities, and young people from France's "banlieues". Difference, discrimination, and exclusion are themes that feature heavily in "J'y suis, j'y reste" song from the album "Utopie d'occase"." The themes of Zebda's music were known for dealing in issues of racism and intolerance.