Political hip hop

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Public Enemy’s, It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, is one of the defining albums of the political hip hop genre

Political hip hop is a subgenre of alternative hip hop. Though mainstream and crossover acceptance has been generally limited to crunk & pop rap, some artists with a socially aware and positive or optimistic tone or a more avantgarde approach have achieved some success. They are often referred to in mainstream musical circles as conscious hip hop due to their focus on political issues surrounding the black community, which differentiates them from gangsta rappers. Fans of such rappers tend to view this genre as more authentic hip hop, claiming that they harken back to hip hop's early days where several artists rapped about "socially conscious" issues and gangsta rap had not yet gained mainstream acceptance.

1 History
2 Public Enemy
3 Lyrical content
4 Revolutionary Hip-Hop

[edit] History

Gil Scott-Heron, who recorded numerous spoken word albums in the 1970s and 1980s, is considered one of the forefathers of rap music, and most of his work dealt with political issues. However, Ice-T is often thought of as the first rapper to explore political issues. The single "Killers" from 1984 seems to have been the first political rap record, and this was followed by his "Squeeze the Trigger" in 1986. His views were generally left-wing, although maintained a sense of machismo; this mixture has remained the standard for political rappers ever since. The hook to "Killers" read, "It's time for all to work together for peace/ 'Cause everybody's doomed if the killings don't cease/ Street homicide, war - it's all the same/ Because murder is murder by any name." In 1994, Ice-T released a book entitled The Ice Opinion, which contained thorough explanation of his political views. However, his more recent work seems to have mostly abstained from political comment.

KRS-One began the political trend on the East Coast. "Advance", released in 1986, dealt with the threat of nuclear war. Criminal Minded by Boogie Down Productions avoided politics, but By All Means Necessary set KRS off on a long career of politically-motivated raps.

In 1988 and 1989, albums from the Native Tongues collective like De La Soul's Three Feet High and Rising, A Tribe Called Quest's People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm and the Jungle Brothers' Straight Out the Jungle are usually considered the first conscious rap albums, with jazz-based samples and quirky, insightful lyrics covering a diverse range of topics (see jazz rap) and strongly influenced by the Afrocentric messages of Bambaataa's Zulu Nation. This period, between 1988 and 1992, when the Native Tongues (together with other crews such as Pete Rock and CL Smooth) were at their creative peak, is considered the golden age of hip hop.

[edit] Public Enemy

Public Enemy is one of the definitive voices of "conscious hip hop," verbally confronting institutional racism, police corruption, and the legacy of slavery in the United States. They attracted youth because of their ability to boldly criticize and reveal serious contradictions in American democracy. Since then, other rappers have promoted positive messages. For example, with songs like "Stop the Violence" and "Self-Destruction," KRS-One has dedicated his talent to opening the ears of a world that often seems cruel and drenched in hate. Eric B and Rakim, EPMD, Schoolly D, Slick Rick, Poor Righteous Teachers, and Ice Cube all helped to build this movement.

[edit] Lyrical content

With conscious hip hop lyrics become more poignant as the rhythm continued to capture the attention of young audiences. The following excerpt from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's "The Message" demonstrates how the lyrics and rhythm come together: "Got a bum education, double-digit inflation/ Can't take the train to the job, there's a strike at the station/ Don't push me cause I'm close to the edge/ I'm tryin' not to lose my head/ It's like a jungle sometime it makes me wonder/ How I keep from going under." Because of the beat and the rhythm of the music this particular song appealed to a large audience and the message against the oppression of African Americans spread with it.

[edit] Revolutionary Hip-Hop

In recent years, political hip-hop has increasingly represented a revolutionary message, including themes such as communist class conflict and revolutionary feminism. Such artists include: