“I got a letter from the government the other dayI opened and read it, it said they were suckersThey wanted me for their army or whateverPicture me givin’ a damn, I said, “Never”Here is a land that never gave a damnAbout a brother like me and myself because they never didI wasn’t wit’ it, but just that very minuteIt occurred […]
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Beans On Toast, from the artist’s Bandcamp. December tends to be a slow month in terms of new music, but some notable socially conscious music has been released during the month. Here is a sampling. Songs/Videos: Working Class Hero – Cat Power & Iggy Pop This cover of the John Lennon protest classic appears on the compilation album The Faithful: […]
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When socially conscious rap group Public Enemy recorded their 1988 sophomore album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Chuck D stated his desire to create the Hip-Hop counterpart to Marvin Gaye’s protest masterpiece What’s Going On. Just like that album, Public Enemy succeeds in providing poignant social commentary on the challenges facing Black America. The album […]
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“Cause I’m Black and I’m proudI’m ready and hyped plus I’m ampedMost of my heroes don’t appear on no stampsSample a look back you look and findNothing but rednecks for four hundred years if you check” The concept of “Fight The Power” originated when director Spike Lee approached Public Enemy about composing an anthem for his 1989 film Do The […]
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When examining the history of political Hip-Hop it doesn’t get much more influential than rap group Public Enemy. The group features hard-hitting lyrics from emcee Chuck D, comedic levity from hypeman Flavor Flav, and a heavy musical attack that rivals any rock group from the Bomb Squad production team. The group’s genesis took place in 1985 when Carlton Ridenhour (aka […]
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As we get closer to the US Presidential election there has been a spike in protest music. Much of the music released is either directly aimed at Trump or discusses the importance of voting. As with the previous months, there is also music that addresses issues of systemic racism, police brutality, and a variety of other social concerns. Also, in […]
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It continues to be a crazy time in isolation, but at least we have music to help get us through. Here is a sampling of some of the socially conscious music released in April. Also, as a note, for any of the releases available on Bandcamp, on Friday, May 1st (and the first Friday of the month for the next […]
Learn more →“Warning! The following video contains content that some viewers may not find disturbing. That’s pretty fucked up.” The following quote was part of a social media teaser for the new video for “Pop Goes The Weapon” the latest single by the rap-rock supergroup Prophets of Rage. Both the song and video are a scathing indictment of the ongoing incidents of […]
Learn more →Here is a recap of some of the noteworthy socially conscious music released within the past two weeks. Songs and Videos: Flames – Chastity “Flames” is the latest single from the Canadian alternative band’s upcoming album Homemade Satan, due out September 13th. The album is a political concept album meant to represent the marginalized voices that often go unheard. Frontman […]
Learn more →&More is a duo made up of rapper Chill Moody and soul singer Donn T. They just released a new video and single “WHOA” which will appear on their upcoming debut full-length album Ethel Bobcat, which is due out April 5, 2019. The tune begins with an insightful intro by the iconic socially conscious rapper Chuck D. The lyrics go […]
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