Perhaps no song captures this legacy more than "Changes." His pointed meditation on police brutality and the war on drugs that waged in black communities is poignant and painfully relevant decades past its release. He was engaged, unapologetic and uncompromising in his indictments of the inner-trappings of this country that kept people of color and poor people marginalized from both upward mobility and some basic civil rights. The album's content is expansive, but rooted in blackness and social justice, through a fiercely radical lens.ĢPac's skill with and fervency for addressing the racial and economic disparities in black communities across America is inextricably tied to his ranking as one of the greatest rappers of all time. and around the world, and how that hierarchy continues to inform beauty standards today. On "Complexion (A Zulu Love)," Kendrick addresses the longstanding legacies of color-based discrimination in the U.S.
"Wesley's Theory" is a reflection of the pimping of black artists exploited by the entertainment industry. On "To Pimp A Butterfly," Kendrick takes on the perils of capitalism and racist institutions in many forms. "From Compton to Congress/ Set trippin' all around/ Ain't nothin' new but a flu of new DemoCrips and ReBloodlicans/ Red state versus a blue state, which one you governin'?" Kendrick raps on "Hood Politics," equating well-known street gangs with politicians on both sides of the aisle. The song is an obvious choice, but the entire album is this brilliant, genre-bending manifesto with bars as smart as they are powerful. It's hook "We gon' be alright," is an affirmation of black life, community and hope. The single "Alright" from Kendrick Lamar's second studio album has become the soundtrack to national protests in the wake of high-profile police killings of unarmed black people. "To Pimp A Butterfly," Kendrick Lamar, 2015
So here are the 25 best rap protest songs (and some albums) across the nearly 40-year genre that put Eminem's freestyle in its proper place. To claim anything other than that points to a lack of understanding of hip-hop's history rather than a reflection of its culture. It's why rapper and Public Enemy member Chuck D famously dubbed hip-hop "the black CNN" decades ago. The reality is, rappers have been criticizing the government, picking apart systems of oppression and addressing the pervasiveness of police brutality in black communities since the art form's inception. When Beyoncé showed up to the Superbowl in an outfit that honored the Black Panthers, conservatives slammed her and the police union called for a boycott of her subsequent world tour. White artists are often lauded for their courage in speaking out against injustice, while black artists are often overlooked or penalized for the same actions. To declare that Eminem's freestyle about Trump is a turning point in hip-hop is lazy, uninformed.
To suggest that Eminem's mediocre bars were anything other than tepid demonstrates a a shamefully low bar for the craft of hip-hop and for what constitutes bravery. "Best political writing of the year, period." "After 27 years of doubts about rap I am now a fan," sports and political commentator Keith Olberman tweeted. Hip-hop fans, athletes, and mainstream media, praised the lukewarm freestyle as urgent, necessary, powerful and genius. He indicted the president for his most egregious transgressions: perpetuating racism, emboldening white supremacy, his irresponsibility with North Korea, the attacks on black NFL players, his abandonment of Puerto Rico. When Eminem released his freestyle as part of the BET Hip Hop Awards' annual cypher, it turned out to be a 4-plus-minute a capella tirade against President Donald Trump.
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