Black Rage Amplified Over Dope Beats
“We’ve been warning people about this, man, for like 30 years… injustice… you know pressure busts pipes, and it’s out of control. I don’t think Black people want anything more than justice… We’re angry at unarmed Black people being murdered in the streets.†– Ice-T in discussion with L.L. Cool J 6/1/2020
the Black Lives Matter protests are warranted, justified and needed. after all the footage, stories, documentation, lawsuits and societal consequences we have to admit that police brutality is a reality for a portion of our society and that is unacceptable. as a people we have to create a better way to care for everyone we share the planet with, no matter our differences.
hip hop produced artists who interpreted the Black experience in such a visceral way that it shook me as a youth. their revolutionary sounds showed me an alternate view of the world, one that differed from biased news reports and systematically racist entertainment industry offerings. these powerful voices made their way to the ears of a generation without any help from mainstream media outlets and a powerfully racist backlash that demonized their sounds and attempted to silence their truths. it seems, to quote Ice-T again, that “Black rage amplified over dope beats†was too powerful to contain; especially when that rage is justified and the beats are bumpin’.
now after centuries of injustices the pipes have burst and we can no longer be willfully ignorant of the demons in our past. we have to face the uncomfortable truths together, and collectively do the right thing for the future.
image : Black Lives Matter Plaza, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
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Tracklist:
- Black Is Black – The Jungle Brothers ft. Q-Tip – Warlock Records (1988) > buy link
- Invasion – Jeru The Damaja – Payday / FFFR (1996) > buy link
- Sound Of Da Police – KRS-ONE – Jive (1993/2004) > buy link
- 100 Miles And Runnin’ – N.W.A. – Ruthless Records / Priority Records (1990/2002) > buy link
- Can’t Truss It – Public Enemy – Def Jam Recordings (1991/2015) > buy link
- Endangered Species (Tales From The Darkside) – Ice Cube ft. Chuck D – Priority Records (1990/2003) > buy link
- Freedom Or Death – Stetsasonic – Tommy Boy (1988/2001) > buy link
- Message To The Soldier – Ice-T – Rhyme $yndicate Records / Priority Recordss / RockBeat Records (1993/2011) > buy link
- Break The Grip Of Shame (The Final Call) – Paris – Scareface Records / Tommy Boy / FFFR (1989) > buy link
- excerpt from Ain’t A Damn Thing Changed – Ice-T – Rhyme $yndicate Records / Priority Recordss / RockBeat Records (1993/2011) > buy link
- Time For Us To Defend Ourselves – M.C. Shan – Cold Chillin’ / Warner Bros. (1990)
- Illegal Search – L.L. Cool J – Def Jam Recordings (1990) > buy link
- Who Protects Us From You? – Boogie Down Productions – Jive (1989) > buy link
- Police State – Dead Prez – Loud Records (2000/2015) > buy link
- Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball – Main Source – Wild Pitch Records (1991/2017) > buy link
- Officer – The Pharcyde – Delicious Vinyl / Four Music (1992/2000) > buy link
- F**K The Police – Jay Dee – Up Above Records (2001) > buy link
- Fight The Power – Public Enemy – Def Jam Recordings (1990) > buy link