“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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Crass, from the artist’s Bandcamp The final results are in and we now have the list of inductees for the 2023 Protest Music Hall of Fame. Admittedly Hall of Fame is a misnomer. Instead of awarding accolades, it is an online archival project focusing on building increased awareness for socially conscious music. Eventually, I plan on doing writeups for all inductees, […]
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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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Source: Mrmw | Wikimedia Commons Music plays an integral role in filmmaking. When employed successfully it can create ambiance, even to the point of becoming an additional character in the movie. It can make an excellent film even more iconic. At other times an outstanding soundtrack to a forgettable motion picture can transcend the movie and even have a significant cultural […]
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Much of the music of the 90s may be associated more with personal angst that political dissension, but it was still a rich decade for socially conscious music. The decade could be considered the golden age of afro-centric hip-hop music. Movements such as riot grrrl and queercore were also important in amplifying women and LGBTQ+ voices. There was a diverse […]
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Just about every 2020 best album list features some variance of 2020 was a shitty year, but at least we had plenty of good music to help get us through. Let’s skip all of that, and get straight to the list of the 40 best protest albums of 2020. When putting the list together several notable releases deserved consideration but […]
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This is the third video posted to the recently launched Ongoing History of Protest Songs YouTube channel. I’ll be posting at least one video a week. The first two videos focused on the best protest tunes of the 2010s, and 2000s. Subsequent videos will focus on the 80s, 70s, and 60s. These videos are based on articles I wrote for Spinditty, […]
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The pandemic has affected everyone, including musicians. With the traditional touring and promo channels being adversely affected many artists that were supposed to release albums earlier in the year have delayed their releases. The good news is that many have decided to release these albums during the fall months, so this month and next have and will see many notable […]
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