Political rap music differs
from other types of hip hop mostly because of its lyrical content. Political
rap songs like “Fight the Power,” “911 Is a Joke,”
and “Stop the Violence” contain political rap lyrics that
aren’t afraid to tackle major issues. The issues at stake in political
rap songs range from complaints about the police and government to messages
of cultural awareness and unity.
While there are a number of political rap artists like
KRS-One of Boogie Down Productions, The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy,
and A Tribe Called Quest among others, the political rap lyrics of Public
Enemy really stand out.
The political rap lyrics of Chuck D (front man for Public
Enemy) encouraged social activism and even addressed aggressive tactics
for social change. While not all of Public Enemy’s political rap
songs are of an aggressive nature, their album It Takes a Nation of Millions
to Hold Us Back was marked by aggressive political rap lyrics. If you’re
looking for a history lesson in political rap music, make sure to check
out political rap downloads from this album.
Contrasting the political rap songs on It Takes a Nation
of Millions to Hold Us Back, the political rap music on Public Enemy’s
later album, Fear of a Black Planet, is more tempered with sensual sounds
and groovy beats, making it a musical masterpiece. Though the political
rap songs on Fear of a Black Planet may not have been as aggressive as
some of their earlier releases, they still remain true to the nature of
political rap music, as advocates of change. However, at this point in
their career, these political rap artists were less counterculture and
more mainstream.
Although Public Enemy is by far the most well known of
the political rap artists, this is not to say that there weren’t
other ground breaking political rap artists. Check out political rap downloads
from KRS-One and his crew, Boogie Down Productions. The political rap
lyrics of these guys not only addressed the African American community
locally, but on a global scale as well. Boogie Down productions wasn’t
afraid of taking on international issues as the subject of their political
rap music. Listen to some political rap downloads from this group for
another snippet of pop-culture history.
While political rap artists may have been more sensitive
to the needs of urban communities, record labels were less enthusiastic
about endorsing controversial messages. For example, political rap songs
they put out like “Burn Hollywood Burn” could potentially
be seen as a self indictment. Thanks to political rap downloads, political
rap music still has a place in society.
Political rap downloads are great because
they provide an outlet for music of this genre to thrive, despite a lack
of mainstream commercial promotions.
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