What role has hip-hop played in activism?
Since the 1980s, hip-hop has basically allowed marginalized voices to enter the mainstream.
Released by Too Short in 1985, Song Girl (Cocaine) explores the rough reality of women who have become entrenched in street culture, examining the inevitable impact of her daily struggles, difficult decisions, and the lifestyle of her choice.
What I’ve seen since I was 13
Straight Cola Fiden lotto on base head
Snorting, bulging, that’s life
But when you hit that pipe it’s all over
“We (the American black community) had gotten these first-person stories from voices that were not mainstream. Unprecedented voices were speaking through rap. Instead of riots, they had a platform to express themselves,” explained Arnold.
In 1987, New York hip-hop rap group Public Enemy is known for posing political issues, media manipulation and systematic racism in lyrics, and has made their debut album Yo! Bam is rushing the show. The group’s subsequent album, “It It Is Conts of Millions Holding Us (1988), established its legacy in both musical achievements and social advocacy.
The NWA release of F**K The Police, featuring the Niggaz attitude, addressed systematic issues of police brutality and racial profiling.
f-k police come directly from the basement
Because I’m brown
And the police think it’s not the other colour
They have the authority to kill minorities
The lyrics spurred widespread rage among conservatives, culminating in the FBI, sending formal denunciation letters to the NWA record label regarding the song’s perceptual anti-law enforcement message.
Even non-political rappers began to incorporate political messages into their songs, Arnold said it showed that political discourse had become deeply pervasive in hip-hop culture. This influence was so widespread that artists without explicit ideological stances were found to be involved in political themes.
“There are only a few artists and groups that are political ideologues. Everything else is sometimes a political commentary,” Arnold said. “From a political ideological perspective, you have a public enemy, Paris, the coup, perhaps the early ’90s, the early ’80s, perhaps, boogie down production.
Which major incidents influenced political hip-hop lyrics?
One was the acquittal of four white police officers in 1991, a white Los Angeles police officer. The verdict led to a six-day riot in Los Angeles, killing more than 60 people, arresting 12,000 people and causing about $1 billion in property damage. The incident was inspired by Ice Cube to write a song that had to rip this Mothaf**A Up, released on the 1992 album The Predator: The Predator.
Innocent, the filthy demon tried to kill me
When news reaches the hood,
Hotier than cayenne pepper, litter, bust
It’s a must to kick the dust
His former NWA rap mate, Dr. Dre, released his response to LA Riots on the day the 1992 album The Chronic, The Nig**Az took over.
Miri is not for peace, Miri is not Rodney King
de Gun clicks and Mi Gun Goes Goes Goes Goes Goes Goes Goes Goes Goes
Compton and Demriot at Long Beach
la ‘dem’ cause dem really I don’t want to see
Nigas begins to loot and police start shooting
First Line expressly rejects the call for peace and expresses the frustration of the black community. At a press conference during the riot on May 1, 1992, King himself gained a more reconciliatory tone. Hoping to quell the violence, he famously said: “Can we all not get along?”
“Police brutality is the theme. It’s not just one thing, it’s not just one thing. Oh, Rodney King was beaten. All these people were beaten. They’re still beaten. And it wasn’t over in 1992.”
Another incident that influenced the lyrics was the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin in February 2012 by George Zimmerman, a nearby watch volunteer in Sanford, Florida. The following year, Zimmerman was acquitted.
The shootings sparked public outrage and raised fierce debates about racial profiling, gun control laws, and Florida’s controversial “lay your foundation” laws.
Hip-Hop Rapper Plies, who co-founded the independent label Big Gates Records, released Trayvon Are Trayvon in 2012, promoting the Trayvon Martin Foundation, with the goal of raising awareness of gun violence for Trayvon’s parents.
I never thought I wasn’t wearing a hoodie
And I didn’t think you could just kill someone and go out the same night. (same night)
It doesn’t mean that every dog you see that bark, he bites
And not all black is uniform, not all pure is white
In 2014, 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was fatally injured by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke. Video of a police dash cam appears later, revealing that McDonald was away from Van Dyke when he fired 16 guns at the teenager. Withholding of evidence in this video sparked enormous demonstrations and public protests.
Two years after the incident, rapper Vic Mensa released 16 shots.
He didn’t have a chance and we all know it was because he was black.
I took 16 times, how is it f*cked up?
I want to go back to the double police supervision now.
Police officer speeds up to the block like a running back
Officer Van Dyke was found guilty in 2018 for second-degree murder and aggravated battery for 16 counts, but was released in 2022 after being sentenced to three years.
In 2015, Sandra Brand, a 28-year-old African-American woman, was drawn to law enforcement in Prairie View, Texas. What began as a routine traffic stop for not letting the lane change notice quickly spiraled into conflict and was arrested on allegedly assaulting a police officer.
Three days later, authorities discovered her invigorating body in her cells at the Waller County Jail. Authorities have determined that she hangs and dies of suicide, but her death will encourage national controversy.
Over the years, several artists have written songs of protest about the incident, including American singer Janelle Monae.
Rapper Joyner Lucas wrote in 2019 in The Devil’s Work:
It’s not justice for Sandra Brando, we like ceiling fans
Lord, if you listen, I’m just looking to hold your hand
