7. In this clever track from Main Source’s classic Breaking Atoms album, Large Professor uses the game of baseball as an ironic metaphor for another ‘national sport’: police harassing young black males. "Cop Killer" is a song composed by Ernie C with lyrics by Ice-T for American heavy metal band Body Count, of which they were both members. The anger that engulfed Black America after witnessing the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer resembled the vitriol that came as a result of the not guilty verdict in the Rodney King case in 1992, which was conveyed on The Chronic cut “The Day the Niggaz Took Over.” Dr. Dre, along with Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger, and RBX, helped provide the perfect hip-hop soundtrack for looting and rioting and breaking off the police force and their co-conspirators with a dose of their own medicine. Comin’ straight from the underground / A young n**** got it bad ‘cause I’m brown / And not the other color, so police think / They have the authority to kill a minority…”. Law enforcement argues that … I don’t know…”. “Mr. urge the people to band together and inflict their own damage on our foes on patrol with this revolutionary call to arms. For this list, we have selected 10 of the best Hip Hop tracks dealing with racial profiling by police, racist cops, and police brutality. The rapper dropped a Black Lives Matter remix of his No. Another song from Hip Hop for Respect, an EP that struck a chord with the public was “Protective Custody,” which paired Talib Kweli and Yaasin Bey with fellow sociopolitical-minded rappers. Music. Preezy Brown is a New York City-based reporter and writer,…, 10 Things You May Not Have Known About 2Pac’s ‘All Eyez on Me’, The NFL’s New Social Justice Ad Features Players Kneeling But No Colin Kaepernick, 10 Independent Artists to Support on Bandcamp Friday (February 2021), Watch Okayplayer’s ‘PASSAGE, The EP’ Short Film Visualizer, Ice Cube Launched His Own Line of Wildly-Potent Cannabis, These South Korean Turntable Designers Want to Make Your Records Float, Impulse Records Celebrates 60th-Anniversary with Vinyl Box Set of Politically-Charged Jazz, How The Fugees Greatest Triumph, ‘The Score’, Became Their Swan Song. "Straight Outta Compton," produced by Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, delves into the members' kinship, music and finances. In honor of Mental Awareness Week, here's a roundup of 24 memorable rap songs about depression, featuring tracks from Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, and more. From the supremely underrated 1994 Word… Life album, this is another typical tale of unjustified police profiling with a dope KRS One sampled hook. I felt like it a lot of times. Released on Body Count's 1992 self-titled debut album, the song was written two years earlier, and was partially influenced by "Psycho Killer" by Talking Heads.. Riots as Told Through Rap and Hip-Hop. For minorities, the wail of a police siren has been synonymous with danger for far too long, which rapper KRS-One touched upon in 1993, on “Sound of da Police,” from his debut solo album, Return of the Boom Bap. The album, which has sold 400,000 copies, includes half a dozen songs that portray the killing of police officers -- songs that Howard's attorneys now claim influenced him to shoot the officer. “Fuck Tha Police” is the ultimate protest song performed by West Coast group N.W.A. Your email address will not be published. Are there songs missing you feel should have been included? did in ‘F*** Tha Police’. From acts like N.W.A. Speaking on the nefarious inner-workings of the justice system, Riley and rapper T-K.A.S.H. Addressing law enforcement’s penchant for racially profiling and antagonizing young black men and women under the guise of protecting the community, the Blastmaster also takes those from his own community to task for joining The Blue Wall, making for one of the more enduring rallying cries aimed against the authorities. The song became huge, not in the last place because even President Bush Sr. spoke out against it, providing the best advertisement money can buy and making Ice-T one of Hip Hop’s first free-speech martyrs at the same time. 's 1988 landmark track "Fuck tha Police" that span diverse musical genres. Photo Credit: Shaughn Cooper for Okayplayer. So while musically this song may not qualify as Hip Hop, Ice T is Hip Hop – that’s why this now legendary track is included in this list. The Coup’s Boots Riley lets the listeners know exactly what’s on the menu with this takedown of police brutality, from the group’s 2001 album Party Music. Many believe the mid-'80s to the mid-'90s marked the golden era of rap storytelling. “99 Problems” is the third single from Jay-Z’s The Black Album. Across the country, police and prosecutors are increasingly using a suspect’s own rap lyrics as evidence in criminal cases. “I woke up this morning to a cop with a gun / Who told me that he looking for a n**** on the run / I thought for a second and I screwed my face / And asked them dirty pigs, “Why the f*** you in my place?”…”. “What the hell are you lookin for? Athletes listen to music to hype themselves up before a game -- a modern day version of fighting -- and everyday people listen to songs about fighting to help themselves struggle through their days. Hip-hop showed up in a big way following the death of Sean Bell, who was murdered on November 25, 2006 after NYPD plainclothes and undercover detectives fired fifty rounds into his vehicle on the morning of his wedding. KRS-One - Black Cop KRS One - Sound of Da Police LL Cool J - Illegal Search M.O.P. Policeman” in 1981, and countless others before, later and in between – music has always been an important way to express discontent about police misconduct. In hip-hop, “fighting the powers that be” is a sentiment and call to action that is all too familiar. “COP KILLER, better you than me / COP KILLER, f*** police brutality! Required fields are marked *. Top 10 Hip Hop Songs Against Police Brutality, Cypress Hill – Looking Through The Eyes Of A Pig. Proclaiming that his “life is valuable” and threatening to protect it at all costs, Large Pro and Main Source aim their ire at law enforcement on this oft-overlooked analysis of the relationship between Black and blue. N.W.A. In 1988, Compton hip-hop group N.W.A. Police brutality garners comparison to America’s favorite pastime on this cut from rap group Main Source’s Breaking Atoms album, with Large … Get notified about exclusive offers every week! Before and after Chuck D and Public Enemy helped coin that phrase with their seminal 1989 contribution to the Do The Right Thing soundtrack, hip-hop artists have spoken on the strained relationship between the criminal justice system and the Black community, with law enforcement being the main target of that ire. From J.B. Lenoir’s “Alabama Blues” in 1965 to Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)” in 1971, from Gil Scott Heron’s “No Knock” in 1972 to Rick James’ “Mr. Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter. 1 hit "Rockstar" with references to the recent protests inspired by Floyd's killing. Always having songs for the mainstream and the ladies, LL also dropped plenty of real Hip Hop. Paris did a great job with ‘The devil made me do it’ and especially with his track ‘warning’. Even if LL Cool J nowadays is better known for his acting and mainstream celebrity status, he was a Hip Hop pioneer and will always be a Hip Hop icon. In 2020, the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others in police-related deaths have reminded the hip-hop community that the fight against those forces must continue in order to take back power and turn the system upside down. pushed the envelope like no other rap group. Jus Allah - Cop Monopoly Killer Mike - Don't Die Knucklehedz- Who Called Da Cops? Poignant, powerful and (unfortunately) still relevant. The song ends with a sampled speech by Malcolm X about police brutality—a voice seldom heard in rap records since the glory days of Public Enemy. 16) KRS-One - “ Sound of Da Police ”: KRS-One is a hip-hop legend and pioneer from whom you can draw a straight line to nearly every conscious rapper who … Songs of Black Lives Matter: 22 New Protest Anthems From Beyoncé to Blood Orange, hear how musicians have added their voices to the growing movement The second verse is a fictional account of racial profiling by the police, but it is based on a true story. One song that not only paid tribute to Bell’s life, but vilified the officers involved — who were found not guilty in 2008  — was “Stand Up,” featuring Cassidy, Drag-On, Styles P., Talib Kweli, and Maino. / Wear my jewels and like freak it on the floor / Or is it my job to make sure I’m poor?”. The sickening video, for a rap called “Hands Up,” shows black men holding guns to cops’ heads and features the disgusting lyric, “For Mike Brown … “Cops killin’ black people on camera and don’t get charged/We ain’t takin’ no more/We ain’t just pressin’ record/Can’t watch you kill my brother, you gon’ have to kill us all.” roll if a dolo went solo / Cop car come screechin in my presence in a second yellin “Freeze!”…”. In this track, that is clearly based on and influenced by N.W.A’s “F*** Tha Police”, Killer Mike pulls no punches in typical fashion. Atlanta rapper Lil Baby dropped the song “The Bigger Picture” on June 12, addressing police brutality and featuring audio from news reports about … Police have been encouraged to parse rap songs to see if they can make a connection between lyrics and unsolved crimes. A product of the School of Hard Knocks, Magna Cum Laude. “[Blam] Aww sh**, another young brother hit / I better go over my man’s crib and get the pump / Cause to the cops, shootin brothers is like playin baseball / And they’re never in a slump…”. / Do I look like a mind reader, sir? famously taking the LAPD and other police departments across the country to task with the incendiary salvo “Fuck tha Police” in 1988 to KRS-One undressing African-American officers abusing their power on “Black Cop” in 1993, artists from all regions aired their grievances with the racially-motivated tactics of the boys in blue. Still relevant almost 30 years later, sadly. I ain’t never killed no cop. During the ’80s and ’90s, the anger built from decades of watching minorities being victimized by those sworn to serve and protect began to spill into the lyrics of rap’s biggest stars. I’m singing in the first person as a character who is fed up with police brutality. Another track that is as relevant today as it was over two decades ago, in this classic cut KRS One addresses police brutality specifically directed at black people, cleverly linking the days of slavery to the way police acts in these modern times. Prophets of Rage • … The L.A. In light of the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests against racial inequality and calls for justice worldwide, Okayplayer looks back on 10 instances where hip-hop artists were inspired to speak out against police brutality and corruption on wax. One of the originators of West Coast gangsta rap, Ice-T co-founded Body Count in 1990 as an outlet for his love for metal. One of the singles of 2Pac’s first album 2Pacalypse Now. The mobilization of law enforcement to carry out the plans of clandestine figures in the shadows of society is no secret, a topic rap duo dead prez brought to the forefront of the conversation with “Police State.” Included on their 2000 debut Let’s Get Free, “Police State” delves into the various tactics that cops and their cohorts use to surveil and prey on the Black community, particularly the violence committed in the name of upholding American values. It can be seen as a precursor to Ice-T’s infamous ‘Cop Killer’, as the teasing chorus by Big Mike leaves no doubt about what the Geto Boys think would be a suitable reaction to racial profiling and police violence against young black males. In Ice-T’s own words (from this 1992 New York Times piece): “The song is fiction, not fact. On “One Four Love,” from the 2000 project Hip Hop for Respect, several rap stars team up to fight the powers that be, in response to the 1999 murder of Guinean immigrant Amadou Diallo, who was shot 41 times by NYPD plainclothes officers in the Bronx. Note: I limited myself to one song per artist, otherwise this list would probably be all Kendrick and 2Pac songs. Watch the intro to the video and understand they talk about bad cops, not good police – so this is about ‘killer cops’, not about ‘cop killers’. Music, Film, TV and Political News Coverage. “Now here’s a little truth, open up your eyes / While you’re checking out the boom-bap, check the exercise / Take the word “overseer,” like a sample / Repeat it very quickly in a crew, for example / Overseer, overseer, overseer, overseer / Officer, officer, officer, officer / Yeah, officer from overseer / You need a little clarity, check the similarity…”. Rappers are still writing and recording songs about shooting cops, but some executives have decided that album cuts with such “incendiary” lyrics as “Mr. The debate over the social impact of gangsta rap music moves to a Milwaukee courtroom Wednesday, when two Wisconsin minors will be charged with murder in the country's second case of rap … / Today's Hip Hop : Rap & Trap Music - Hip Hop Hits if you are tired of the RapCaviar Playlist 🎤 New Rap Songs Mix We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. The anthem was truly revolutionary for its time, pioneering free-speech in hip-hop music in the late ‘80s. Preezy Brown is a New York City-based reporter and writer, filling the empty spaces within street and urban culture. The sad thing is that in the 30 years since this song was recorded nothing has changed…. / COP KILLER, but tonight we get even…”. Killer Mike spins a riveting tale about being the target of an intense manhunt after defending himself from trigger happy policeman on “Don’t Die,” from the Atlanta raptivist’s 2012 effort R.A.P. Got Blunt? When Hip Hop emerged as a major musical and cultural force, with it came outspoken artists who weren’t afraid to speak their minds about societal problems. Police brutality garners comparison to America’s favorite pastime on this cut from rap group Main Source’s Breaking Atoms album, with Large Professor using baseball jargon to describe the various ways that cops victimize members of the Black community. “They clocking, shocking and knocking me / Wantin’ a reason for whocking me / But I ain’t committin’ no crime / Soon as they stoppin me O.C. The Crooklyn Dodger. Photo Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc. Body Count "Cop Killer" (1992) Few songs have sparked as much controversy as "Cop Killer," released on the self-titled debut by the rap/rock group Body Count in the spring of 1992. Let us know in the comments! “They got me trapped / Can barely walk the city streets / Without a cop harassing me, searching me / Then asking my identity / Hands up, throw me up against the wall / Didn’t do a thing at all…”. Geto Boys’ response to police brutality, taking it a step further than N.W.A. All, in some form or fashion, speak on the realities of police … At one time, every major rap album had to contain at least one track in which the rapper recounted, in extreme detail and in first person, a boastful yet grossly implausible tale involving himself and perhaps his crew. Your email address will not be published. Even as the son of a police officer, Killer Mike does not shy away from being very outspoken about police oppression. His fourth album Mama Said Knock You Out undoubtedly is one of his very best, and this track is a typical account of what a black man driving a nice car has to endure. Sadly, it all came crashing down. Released in May 2008, just weeks after the verdict was announced, “Stand Up” channels the anger and disbelief that accompanies the devaluing of black life in the eyes of law enforcement. From the onset of the song, when he wakes up to the sight of a firearm aimed squarely at his face, Killer Mike laments the fervor with which law enforcement hunt down Black people, but refuses to be victimized and goes full Larry Davis, putting forth a triumphant number that scoffs in the face of fear. Some may disagree with how Ice-T & Body Count put the message out there, but the song was a definite response to police brutality. The epic beat is provided by Rick Rubin and the chorus hook “I got 99 problems but a bitch ain’t one” is taken from the Ice-T single “99 Problems” from the album Home Invasion (1993). released "F--k tha Police," an urgent, powerful protest song that looked police brutality and racial profiling directly in the eye and demanded action. VIBE has compiled 11 protest songs beyond N.W.A. The pain and suffering as a result of those tragedies have accounted for some of the most impassioned songs denouncing various law enforcement agencies and calling for reform — if not abolition — of police forces nationwide. Top 10 Hip Hop Songs Against Police Brutality: There’s a long tradition of protest songs against misconduct by police, even way before Hip Hop.From J.B. Lenoir’s “Alabama Blues” in 1965 to Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)” in 1971, from Gil Scott Heron’s “No Knock” in 1972 to Rick James’ “Mr. Featuring Breeze Brewin, Donte (of Mood), El-P, Imani Uzuri, Jah-Born, John Forté, Main Flow, Mr. Khaliyl, Mr. Len, Nine, Punchline, Tiye Phoenix, and Jean Grae, “Protective Custody” saw the succession of spitters giving their critique of corrupt officers policing their community and lamenting the lack of justice afforded to blacks. Calling for justice within the black community in light of the police brutality running rampant, rappers Doug E. Fresh, Pharoahe Monch, Common, Kool G Rap, Posdnuos, Rah Digga, Shabaam Sahdeeq, and Sporty Thievz joined Talib Kweli and Yaasin Bey in their quest to unify the people and cast aspersions on law enforcement. 2Pac addresses profiling by police and police brutality against young black males. “The year is ’94, in my trunk is raw / In my rearview mirror is the motherf*****’ law / Got two choices, y’all: pull over the car or / Bounce on the devil, put the pedal to the floor / And I ain’t tryin’ to see no highway chase with Jake / Plus I got a few dollars, I can fight the case / So I pull over to the side of the road / I heard, “Son, do you know why I’m stopping you for?” / ‘Cause I’m young and I’m black and my hat’s real low? UGK's "Protect and Serve" was one of the more biting examples of rap music as an outlet, its chorus a sarcastic sing-song about the policemen's … As police misconduct has always been an issue, especially for inner-city youths and minorities, it was only logical Hip Hop would become one of the major vehicles to express outrage. So with all that in mind, here are 10 of the best political hip-hop songs of all time. / COP KILLER, I know your family’s grievin’ … F*** ‘EM! But I never did it.”, “F*** the police! Run the Jewels, the rap duo of Killer Mike and El-P, incorporates those words into "Walking in the Snow," a timely anthem calling out the media's dispassionate coverage of police … Ranging from the hilariously ridiculous to the eerily realistic, here are the 25 most violent rap songs of all time, complete with the most potent threats—and body counts. Top 10 Hip Hop Songs Against Police Brutality: There’s a long tradition of protest songs against misconduct by police, even way before Hip Hop. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Perfectly capturing the mindset of a generation of young black males tired of police brutality in just three words, this N.W.A classic may just be one of the most controversial songs in Hip Hop ever – and a hugely influential one. The very best of the Hip - Hop, Rap and Trap scene 2020! Nothing could censor these young Compton natives, including a FBI warning, arrest threats for performing police-bashing songs or general public criticism. Officer, crooked officer / I wanna put your a*s in a coffin, sir / Cause you done f***** with n****s like myself for too long / It’s time to grab my motherf***** nine and get it on…. In the wake of the Rodney King verdict the year before, the Geto Boys were one of the rap acts to verbally seek out their own pound of flesh against the police with the incendiary track “Crooked Officer.” Voicing their rage with emboldened threats against all branches of law enforcement, the Houston rap trio joined in with their Western and Eastern counterparts to put a spotlight on the abusive relationship between people of color and police departments across the country. - Hip Hop Cops Papoose was one of the first rappers to address the death of Sean Bell, a father of two who was unarmed when police killed him in a hail storm … / Can’t a young man make money anymore? April 29, 1992 resulted in over 50 deaths, thousands of arrests, a billion dollar's worth of damages in South L.A. ... Los Angeles police … Love that Crooked Officer is on this list. However, specific instances, such as the assault of Rodney King, as well as the murders of Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell, Oscar Grant, Mike Brown, Sandra Bland, Jeremy McDole, and countless others at the hands of the police have sent the hip-hop community into a rage.