With Great Bars Come Great Responsibility

don't give a fuck. Make the RAI their money with the cover thought the racism that makes them sick of sentences and set them off, putting setting up for keeping up people houses shot wouldn't allowments and eno parching all the kitchen bridges, kicking stock. You don't have to send the don key, putting them prison locked. I really don't understand what makes this decision high. I was know when they didn't give a funk about my black life back when you was playing Half life. A baby in the

world was the way of baptized. The scarboard felt, but it made me mad. Night story, move forward me if you cruise corny and I'm too sorry. Plus I'll leave your coo groory. I'm a true boy. He's boy. Please, ain't afraid of no harm the funk. They're gonna dude, shoot me while I'm am which that I could do like ballads disappear on the farm. Then I hear a sound guy and someone rings the alarm and I'm back in it. I can't help you in a damn synic. His damn planet got a lot of fucking whacking it.

I don't need no cash, so SiO path, what see no stack of mostly smoke cash boy green, the no po stash with the same brick used to whip Deebo's ash. Yo Yo, my name's dope knife. We are waiting on reparations. How are you doing, Mac, I've been good. Another week in Corona Land, been productive. You know. My comic book is almost getting that But now I get to see it. You're the one that I'm nervous about seeing it. Why I want to see it? Okay, I mean, I'm gonna

let you see it. I've been I've shared it with a few people and they're digging where it's at. Show me It's like it's not it's not finished, but it's gotten there so care, show me how was your week. I think it's been fine. I mean trying to try to pivot politically having been defeated and defunding the police.

I heard about that. So your proposal got voted down, and uh so, I mean it's really funny because I saw one of my talking to my friends about like task forces and how like they're this like unique kind of bureaucratic nightmare where so many good ideas go to task force to die, and that is the level of groveling. I think sometimes they even task force to kind of

play dying to give you a task force. Yeah, and so I'm shifting to like, okay, maybe holding out hope, but I think you can get some really dope people on this task force who are like abolitionists or like down to the police. Well, I mean it's okay, So explain because to a cat like me, it's like you know you hear free is like, ay, we're setting up a task force. We're going to discuss these issues like

what does that mean in real life? Like and not like political speak, like what does the task force actually do when they set it up? So like they're given some things to think about, like some goals, Like hey, figure out these things and they kind of just shove them in a broom closet together, lights off, and then um, all the people with like really entrenched like institutional power shout over everyone. That is like normal and good. And especially if you know this task force, you know, being

tasked with addressing community building in public safety. If a bunch of cops are on there just like scripping their guns, that like formerly incarcerated people trying to tell their stories of how they've been harmed by like the police. Yeah, so that's gonna be really great. That's what that's gonna be. Unless we can get people out here in these streets still believing that we can still win something. Seven if

we lost a lot of what we wanted. That doesn't sound like good environment where you can get test them exactly. I mean something you're not are you not hopeful? I Mean what I've seen lately is that like public pressure campaigns just make elected officials really nervous and they kind of like may tuck their tail between their legs and like scurry to a corner angrily and like raise their hackles at you. If you just demand what you want in mass which is what has been happening, and so um,

I don't know where to go from here. And that's the only tactic I am aware of. Its people in the streets, like and then then these people just run away. I think the next step is like because I mean, surely the people in the streets wasn't gonna last forever. But at the same time, I think if you if it can kind of be harnessed. I'm not saying this is even kind of over. I'm not to be in these streets, goddamn. Oh no, no, I mean, I'm not saying it's over, but you know, it's definitely not a

month ago. It's definitely not a month ago. Hopefully that you guys can can get some of those don't want to talk about it. I'm sound, I don't want to to talk about it. Yeah, you even took a whole bottle of moscado to the dome. So I didn't say nothing. I was just I'm just saying I felt your pain. I had the news on all weekend in the background while I was drawn. So I've been seeing this nigga. Trump just suffer implosions right before our very eyes, which

I mean, I just mean the total thing. Obviously, it's still like four or five months out from the election, so anything can happen. But my god, as somebody who's been just an observer of like political theater for a long time, Nigga is doing pretty bad at it. I mean, yeah, e they're talking about his white power hissy fit the other day. There's mild to streal strength treason. This just

the ship show. So last week we were talking about the j Cole and No Name situation, which more or less had to do with artists using their platform and voice to speak on the current situation ahead, and that started off a you know, further conversation that we had off of the mic as to whether or not artists have an inherent responsibility to use their voice and to use their art in their platform to speak out about you know, our troubled times as they are, as well

as just like what there what their participation in various forms of like activism means, and like look at some of the different ways people are engaging the present moment. We wanted to start off by asking some folks on Instagram are artists responsible for using their plat forms to amplify social movements in times like these? Gone terrific says Yes, absolutely, artists are tuned in people who know what's going on in the world. If they're using social media to communicate,

that's not a one sided act. Most people know what side they're on. Good point. So if they're not saying anything, that's saying something. Yeah, no, I can agree with that. Um. I've actually seen a couple of situations where people have commented a man, I've been waiting like weeks for the artists that I like to say something, and they they're like posted their posting about other ship and I was just like, it's like, damn, that was a really hard

unfollowed because now I know where they stay. It's like, don't go putting motherfucker's on a pedestal. Always love music says only if the artist truly believes in the movement. It's honestly frustrating watching people post, slash repost things if they're not actually doing the work themselves. By work, I mean educating both themselves and those around them outside the social media bubble. Who cares if it's not part of

your actual dialogue in real life. I feel that too, though, I mean I would rather someone like and I guess We'll get into this later in the show, like what I think real solidarity looks like it is, but like, yeah, if you're faking it, fuck you, fuck you. Yeah. I mean, what's gonna be a recurring thing that I'm going to say all episode is? In times like these, I think

authenticity is pretty important too. So on one hand, I do understand, you know, that line of if your fans or if people just in general see you not saying anything, then they take your silence as a cue for where you saying. I'm not wanting to stay silent and having people think that you don't care that you're not you know, I think that your position is something it isn't. But at the same time, you know, I'm an artist too, and it is your art to make of it what

you want to. So if you don't feel like expressing that, hey, that's on you. Like whether I agree with the message or not, if the message isn't genuine, then it's just propaganda, not really a message. And I feel like this gets into somewhat of something someone else said. Action brand owner said mixed if they have the ability to convey the message, yes, no, because not all artists are created equal, but use the word artists who loosely these days and expect those who

entertainers that have something viable to say. I think it all comes down to people wanting to be entertained by their favorite personality. Do I want talent police speaking on current issues? Yes? Do I want Mike Tyson speaking on current issues? The reason I think this is interesting Nina Simone's voice amplify the movement and Cap Colagway's amplified the culture. So some people really just shouldn't speak on should Maybe I agree same, you know, if some people just really

shouldn't speak on should. You ever heard the Day Chappelle stand up bit jaw Rule where he's watching like I think MTV or something or the news or something after nine eleven, and they're they're talking to jaw Rule and he's thinking, damned, I really want to hear what jow

Rule has to say at a time like this. It's like, where's jaw I mean, I get that it's funny at the same time, you know, just personally speaking, I gotta admit that a lot of my political interests was unlocked by listening to like Iced Tea and Ship when I was a kid. So I do think that somebody here in their favorite artists or favorite rapper what they you know, what they have to say about an important issue of the day. I do think it kind of makes a

difference to be sappy with it. That kind of reminds me of what event Tire said. He says, I think artists are always responsible for that, though sometimes the movement can be as simple as reminding people what joy feels like, which can be pretty radical. And I think especially in like times like these, where people are facing such economic austerity and like health concerns and just like real unsure futures like it can be some welaboratory just to be

able to forget that for a little while. They should as long as they know what they're talking about and know how to effectively communicate the message. Recent releases from people like Kimba or Morning a Black Star great, But if you're going to give me another montage of celebrities with a week let's dream of a better world bullshit, get the funk out. And that I cannot agree more with.

And I mean, if you look historically, like back during the Civil rights era, like nine like, we can think about some of the precursors and previous movements of like black artists, like what their response has been as like a precedent for where we are now. You still have folks like Marvin Gay creating hits like What's going On and slying the family Stone with songs like everyday people. They might not have like an explicit like policy thing to it or anything, it still resonates as songs of

struggle all these decades later. I feel, how would you described the difference between the art and the platform, Like are those two different things? Are we just generally speaking on the same because the art is like the music and the songs and the music videos and stuff, and then the platforms like uh, I just got taco ballot for I am, but a thousand people still see that even if it's not your art anymore. And so there's

the social media component to it. But I'd like to talk a lot about I think I said earlier, like solidarity and what it looks like because like there's a platform, and then it's like, as a celebrity, what do you do with your time and your money and like your physical presence for people as well, because you have like access to weird amounts of influence, but also like cash. Also you can do really interesting things with your time to draw attention to these movements, and so like all

of those different ways of like engaging with them. So let's talk the a bit about who's been out in the streets, and I specifically when to talk about this is I think one of the most important ways that like artists can engage with the movement, because I mean everyone has their part to play, from telling petitions to like you know, amplifying messages on social media, to making really large donations, which you can do with your famous

which I have different feelings about. But when you're putting yourself in harm's way with the people, it's like really powerful. It's like really democratizing in a way because it puts you on the same playing field as the people that respect to you so much. Um, So you're no longer celebrity. You're just a regular person to any of the regular people for justice. And I think that like that's the

hardest thing for people to do. Uh, And so like showing up for the movement in that way, uh means a lot for the people who are there, who are you know, also doing the hardest work, and so um it just means a lot to me when people actually get out there, I agree to reiteray is like when you have a platform and eyes are on you, you know, it's just it just creates an opportunity for you to bring awareness to issues that people generally wouldn't be able

to or wouldn't be open to paying attention to. Like you use the example of going to Taco Bell. You could have people know that you went to Taco Bell. So think if you were like using that to draw attention to something that's importantly Yeah, you have a lot of people were like posting about it. But then you have the fact that like j Cole went to protest in North Carolina and Faytteville and May thirtieth, but he was spotted, he was spotted by folks um and then

he actually declined to speak on camera. And I think that like that sort of presence especially, I mean, people are gonna know you're there, You're fucking Jacole whatever. But but like just making yourself one with with people and it makes it it makes it not about you. Yeah, Like it's just a really humbling thing that I'd like wish more people, dude not But also I've seen the same thing you're saying of using like your presence to amplify, to like draw people into this sense of like, oh

I could be that could be me. I could be

out there. Well yeah, I mean the next person about to mention California rapper YG just in terms of keeping a low profile, he did the exact opposite, where he, in collaboration with Black Lives Matter and Build Power, ended up bringing tens of thousands of people to Hollywood Boulevard and they were blasting his music and it was it was all like a peaceful protest, but it did seem like he was front and center of it, you know, but into a position of leadership and these things exactly.

You know, that sort of that fits his persona as a as an artist. So that's authentic, you know. And I feel like j Cole to like just show up at a protest and not really be front center and I'm not going to speak and just kind of be incognito. I think that fits his persona too. Yeah. Oh the thing about YG though, I almost missed this, So he said, they hear FTP and they think I'm gonna com and burned my city. So we showed up and we did

it right, you proved them wrong. You're on this on Instagram. Um. But then later on Instagram he said, all of us protesting on the same side here, instead of questioning each other's active activism should be directing the energy of the confident government and helping create change you want to see. So I just feel like those conflicting messages here. Yeah,

I mean, I can see that. I mean, but although I don't necessarily think that, you know, calling for a unity amongst the activists and trying to direct anger towards the government and the police is necessarily synonymous with let's burn this ship down. Though that's not among protests none at all. Um. Even Little Yadi was leading the peaceful protests in Atlanta. He had as a bullhorn talking about we gotta stand for something or will fall for anything,

you know, doing a little thing. Hey, it's even even rappers who aren't known for speaking about social change or social justice or anything like that. The more of voices on the subject, but better so brought vote a little Yadi. Oh and I saw a thread on Instagram via twenty three year old Alabama rapper Chica Um. She posted some Instagram stories and Instagram videos just documenting her experience in one of the protests, she ended up getting arrested entertained.

I think her manager got locked up in in helping or defending her managers. Yeah, we need celebrities getting arrested. That's what we need, the celebrities getting arrested, because you know who's going to be fine and then get arrested. Fucking Beyonce beyonest, she'd be in jail right now and everybody who's in the cell. Beyonce was gonna probably be fine. To everybody in the I'll be fine. So yeah, now we need more celebrities getting arrested. That's what we need

right now. I recently come to terms with my potential arrest. I was brought to my attention that I hadn't been getting a permit for these caravans. I've been had it and some city manager called me. It was just like yeah, permiant and you know it's organized by many people, so I, you know, did say I would pass the information on

to the organizers, but like it's not a protest. Did you ask did you for did you forget or you were just like oh no, I mean like I forgot, but also like you don't ask for permission to happen, and so the cost might be less nice um in future ones. But you know, the tactic, the tactics with I shouldn't talk about it's not Yeah, okay, well it's gonna be fine. It's all I want to say is that it's gonna be fine. Are you mentally Have you

ever been arrested before? Yeah, I've been arrested before. Okay, alright, Yeah, I would have my ship way more together this time. Yeah, I'm assuming that the last time it wasn't for any day important. No, I was still in fucking boost. Yeah,

that's what I can steal an alcohol. Yeah, Shore when I used to get arrested in high school for the same reasons it was when I was living in Cameroon, which is why I haven't been arrested since I've been living in the States as an adult, because it's like, once you've been in a Cameroonian jail, you're good on all that jail ship. On June seven, Kendrick Lamar was protesting and Compton he kind of did the same thing that j Cole did, where you know, he showed up

in cognito. Wasn't too much fanfare around. It didn't draw too much attention to himself. Again, I like that. Yeah. And then Kanye also showed up to a Chicago protest on June four, but also he donated two million dollars to support the family and legal teams of George Floyd, Brown, Taylor, and Ahmad are very um. Some of the money donated with food cover college tuition for George Floyd's six year old daughter, Gianna. But I don't know how I feel

about kanye're doing anything. What are your initial what are your initial feelings? Well, I feel like fucking money, Like throwing your money around is like the least, Like charity is a problem. Charity is like shouldn't exist, Like everybody should just have all the stuff they need, like I guess as a socialist, Like that's how I always feel. So like Kanye shouldn't have enough money that he can give two million dollars someone because they're their dad got

murdered by police. Just have a world. People will get murdered by police and everybody because we don't have the crazy amount of wealth inequality we have his country. So anyway, I just don't any money to charity, I feel you, But I mean the fact remains that we do have a world where people have that much money? I mean, what is Kanye doing to like to like redistribute his wealth.

I mean, we should do we should do a deep dive and you know what, let's not get sidetracked because we should probably do a deep dive into Kanye on an episode the complicated politics of Kanye West or some ship. But I did want to look at, um, what Lebron James is doing a little bit, And I mean, I know he's an athlete, but I figured the hip hop tie in is that for the last seventeen years, Lebron James has had this almost symbiotic relationship with mainstream hip

hop and mainstream rappers. I mean, he's been referenced in countless songs. He's fringe with a bunch of rappers. Uh. He even executive produced to Chain's latest album. Nine times out of ten, there's no mainstream rapper that we're not we're going to talk about that doesn't have some sort of connection to Lebron James. So that's the hip hop tie in. But um, he's actually taking the initiative of

starting an organization called More Than a Vote. Per the New York Times, he started the More than a Vote, which was initially funded by James and his business manager, Maverick Carter, while ESPN commentator Jalen Rose, as well as current basketball stars Trey Young and Skylar Diggin Smith are also involved in the organization. The nonprofit will team up

with voting rights groups to register black voters. James said he will use his large social media following to draw attentions to the efforts to suppress the vote in racial minorities. James said the death of Floyd pushed them to consider taking more action, and that was starting with Tuesday after he saw the bullshit that went down with the Georgia primary election. So with calls to voting, I mean, we hope that we can circumvent another catastrophe like we had

in the Georgia primary when it comes to November. And I think that definitely boosting youth turned out and the black vote is really critical to ushering in a different era. But like helping but all that and getting people involved in the many kinds of civics that are possible, because even if Democrats win in November, we're gonna have to push them on things like Medicare for all, on dismantling

the president industrial complex. That's not They helped architect and they're gonna need to be pushed left on those issues. And so um, as long as like calls to action around voting are coupled with like education on how voting is a part of a broader spectrum of actions, I'm down with it. I just don't want people to get caught up on like, well, this is the only way to participate. Agree with that. Yeah, So we've got calls

to vote, We've got people taken to the streets. I've got people using their platforms retweeting or posting pictures of them at these events, themselves at these events to help bring awareness to the ongoing you know, the the mainstream media wants to say this is pretty much it's all over, But we can actually get that reporting from on the ground of people of prominence who are spreading that awareness and this is still happening. Helps like renew that fight

by bringing more people into it. And then you have you know, earlier we're talking a little bit about charity. Kanye West had donated money to the legal teams and families of George Floyd and others, and so I talked a little bit about My problem with charity how it still maintains the power structure that we still have black capitalists at the top making money off slave labor for

you know, people building their fashion brands in Bangladesh. They're essentially take the whole loaf of bread and giving slices back to the people make rather than make sure everyone has bread in the first place. And that's kind of what I felt about them, not controversy, but like the beef. A couple of days ago between make Meek Mill and Trey Songs, they were going back and forth in each

other on Meek's Instagram about who's donated more to charity. Oh, I didn't even hear about Yeah, And Trey commented on Meek's account of him a picture of him holding several hundred dollar bills um asking Meek to donate to a good chot Uh, donate to a good cause. He used to take some of them bands and accept the feed your Community challenge, And so they kind of went back and forth about how much money that they've donated. You know, Oh,

I've donated to Philadelphia schools. I helped raise fifty million dollars for reform. You know, Meek Mills has been more involved in the reform alliance, will be mentioning that in future Yeah, I'm just gonna come up in a future episode. But man like, yeah, no, there's something about the at that's like, really, it feels kind of disconnected, don't you think, especially given the exact moment of time that we're in

where we're under this hard to hit economic recession. It's like, even though I understand they're talking about money being put towards things that are I guess good causes, but still there's there's something almost inherently gross about well, I dropped, I raised fifine, like inherently a little gross. But like, you know, we all pay taxes, we all pay taxes, trade songs pay taxes, make male pay taxes. Probably, I mean,

I'm assuming they all pay taxes. I kind of pay my taxes, but like, make the government fund these things. We shouldn't be like groveling to celebrities to like feed our communities and fund our schools. Like we all pay into the system, we should all be getting in equal benefit from it, which I guess is why I wish people would spend more time on like calling for us to to fund the fucking police than we do bickering over who donates more money to those organizations that could

use that police funding instead. Yeah, I mean it's kind of like, yeah, the saying that people say, like go fund me shouldn't have to be a people's health care plan exactly. All right. So for the music discussion, I mean, first of all, speaking of music, did you get a

chance to watch any of the b t yours. I did. Um. I saw you know, Anderson Pack shouting out the black trans victims at the b t R A to thought, I was dope, way to use your platform, because black trans folks are definitely, i mean, like have the highest rate murder rates of any population, and definitely when we talk about saying their names, their names don't get said as much because there's still a lot of like transphobia and homophobia in the hip hop community, in the black community,

and then especially me to like haven't highlighted like that. What do you think? I mean, I thought it was cool. There was there was a lot of interesting things. It was kind of odd. You know, it's still odd watching these awards shows that are kind of live streamed now with social distancing and stuff, it's it takes some getting used to, but I thought there was some cool stuff. I like that remix if you want to call it that,

or update of Fight the Power that they did. That's what we are actually going to be going a bit more in depth into the song Fight the Power of the Public Enemy song Fight the Power. But at the bat He Awards they did a rendition of it that had partially the original song with Chuck the and Flavor Flavor, but then they added in a verse from nas Rap City Black. Thought y g it actually turned out really dope. I liked it, um, but that just got me thinking

for the music discussion for this episode. You know, with everything that's happened in the last month and some change, there's actually been a good amount of music that's been made either directly about the George Floyd murder or the protests that have been going on ever since. So that's what we're gonna be taking a look at today, which you know, we might as well start with the Anderson Pack Lockdown song. Let's check this out, sleep you Don't

eat screens when we kitchen feet down. Yeah, So Lockdown, I think itself it addresses a number of intertwining political crises that are in Gulf in the nation right now, from the pandemic to rising unemployment rates, it's both uprising itself. So lockdown here, could you used to refer to the pandemic shutdowns of you know, businesses, bars, restaurants, et cetera, or curfew is being put in place to stop people

from exercising their First Amendment rights. But I feel like of the songs that we look at today, it's one of the more incisive descriptions of the moment I've heard because of its kind of all encompassing nature. But then in describing you know, looting in first person, you speak in some real ship about protest safety. When he says, little to your gas, clear the whole place out, I'll be back with the has Matt for the next round. He was trying to protest and the fires broke out.

Look out for the secret agents. They'd be planted in the crowd, Like this is some real ship Adan for vokaturs, Anderson Pack is always dope, yo. I mean for me, it's like I thought you didn't like those Singing rappers.

I mean, I'm not the biggest fan of the Singing Rappers, but I kind of look at Anderson Pack Moore as with a singer, so in that in that regards, this seems more like he's a singer who is rapping, you know what I'm saying, which kind of makes the rapping more impressive because it's like, oh man, he's like pretty good for a guy who's how do you feel about him making looting seem really cool in the song? It's interesting. It's it makes it not preachy, you know what I'm saying.

It's not preachy. He's just like I'm on the I'm on the boat, I'm on the boardwalk, I'm on the boulevard. I'm putting the mannekins in my in the backshop, back of my car. Like I mean, obviously I don't know what he's thinking. I doubt that he means it literally, but like yeah, I mean like for the art, it's like you get get yourself in the mind frame of the character that you're playing. I get that. Yeah, he's

still really powerful. What I perceived are probably fishings before songs like Milk and Honey where he describes like, you know, taking all this money from this sugar mama and then like getting busted and going to jail with bricks. Yeah, exactly, like you know, like, hey, yeah, it's a dope story. Yeah, it's a dope story. Yeah yeah. Speaking of dope, the next joint is front Lines by Conway. The Machine's killing black people. Don't Caroline, don't get charged taking normal just press.

Griselda are always bringing that. He what did you think about this? I thought this was interesting because it's kind of like a mixture of this like a regular flex rap in like the first verse, and then in like the second and third verses he kind of gets into like describing what he's seen on the news, and the third verse he describes a black man getting pulled over in the predicament of blackness in the situation, so like if he reaches for his ID, they think it, they'll

think he's reaching for a gun. He puts his hands up, it's still he runs away. They shoot him in the bag um. And so like I thought that was interesting, like how it's just sort of like seamlessly put into this track that other watch it's about banging. It was that's like that's like their usual style with Griselda, I mean, and that's how the song kind of has that format where it's like the first half of it, it's like a typical you know, Griselda song, shoot him Up, bars flexing,

you know, I'm fly like that sort of stuff. But Conway always has like a style where it's kind of like a stream of consciousness sort of vibe to it.

So for me, you know, with the way that his topics and subject matter normally just like go from one thing to the next, for for him to just like have a point in the verse where it's just dedicated to this where it's like it goes from describing the George watching the George Floyd tape to like then describing the situation, you know, the conditions of black people and believe it's just like you really, you know, he really

felt it. Especially as a fan who's listened to a bunch of his music before, it's like, oh man, yeah that this ship was really on his mind, you know, I mean you just had to put that into the song like that. And I'm also noticing with this this in this, and it's in a lot of the other songs that we have, is um you're kind of seeing the effects of like how the media coverage of this is kind of like affecting some of the music because everybody is using samples from Yeah, this one, he samples

a newscaster describing the Third Precinct getting burnt down in Minneapolis. Yeah, and you'll see that as a trend in a lot of the other songs that we have to So then up next we got Cupcakes Lemon Pepper, which is a pretty standard ratchet track from this Chicago Spider. Let's check it out down telling me great for an old wait, I mean, I think it's dope that half proceeds are going to the Ministry so to Freedom Fund to help bail out those arrested over protests for George Floyd's murder.

I think it's an earnest gesture to me, because it's like, like we're talking about earlier the questions, not everybody is going to have the right words or even the desire to speak directly on the situation. But if you want to party and still contribute to the costs, help out and contribute to it in some way, I think, you know, I think the heart's in the right place. Yeah, for sure, definitely. Definitely.

Up next, we got probably, I would have to say, just from what I've been seeing, is probably the most popular song out of this crop of songs have been made yeah, the bigger picture of violent a rapper a little baby. Let's let's hear that real quick. That should be were your thoughts on that? Um? So, I really like this track because it's really uncomplicated lyrically, Unlike a lot of political or conscious hip hop, which tends to

turn people off with some of its density. Um, it gives off a defiant ambiance and tells a story or like a train of thought that's fairly easy to follow. And so, like, I think it's really powerful in its simplicity. I think, even though like it's basic in terms of

rhyme schemes and stuff, he's flowing consistently throughout it. And I mean I always think that, like you just said, the biggest problem with sometimes when rappers are trying to get across a message with songs, and sometimes they try to pack a little bit too much information into the lines and it kind of takes away from the song sounds to someone's ear. So with this, it's just like I was even just listening to this just for like

to write some notes on it. It's like I just the next thing I knew I had listened to it like twelve times in a row. Yeah, yeah, yeah, this is really I dig it just because again, whenever it feels real and it feels like it's honest, that's when I really like, Yeah, you can really feel a little baby working through. You know. He talks about like why not start here? Why not start now? He might not have always been involved in this kind of work, but now he's here, and now he's showing up. Um, he's

working through various things. He thought some lines I saw you pull out corrupt police been a problem where I'm from, But I'd be lying if I said it was all of them, just like an example exactly. It's a conflicted nature just coming out there on the song, because like he probably could have thought about that message a little bit more like if you if you thought about if he was thinking about it and thinking about what people thought, he probably would have been like, man, maybe I shouldn't

say something good about the cops are. But he's presenting a nuanced perspective that is like not always commonly found. You found a lot of anti cops songs within the hip hop literature, But to have a kind of a nuanced perspective like that, to acknowledge that a lot of people in our communities do trust the police or some of them or see their utility, Like, I think it's a needed counterpoint in this moment, even if I don't

necessarily agree. And then it's dope. On top of all this that proceeds from the bigger picture are going to the National Association of Black Journalists to be on A. Taylor's Attorney, the Bail Project, as well as Black Lives Matter. That's really dope. Yeah. Um up next we have um de Smoke featuring Sir with the track let Go de Smoke is the winner of the I Believe Rhythm and Flow the netflace. Oh yeah, yah, yeah, I'm gonna check

this out. How are you supposed to protest with no chest a big hot but they closed down at the chance which you have. Yeah, that should smooth you know. It's like an emotional ride where you go from hearing him wax poetic about the black condition in the first verse, and then in the second verse he's like it's really well wrapped. It's like a personal account of him being pulled over by the cops. He even mentions how he wrote the song. He wrote this verse on the day

that George Floyd died. Then the third verse he's like a lot more animated, and he's like, funk this, you know what I mean, kind of going in on the condition. So it has that sort of build to a climax that was really dope. I'm next, we got Dreys captured on an iPhone, so this is Florida based Dre of Cool and Dre, not to be confused with Dr Dre, who dedicates this song to folks whose murders weren't filmed,

the folks that don't become hashtags. Like Will Smith said, I think in two thousand sixteen, racism isn't getting worse, it's getting filmed. It's just nice team that dropped somebody. WI should ful for the soul is anything. So I really love that he samples Girls Got Heron's The Revolution

will not be televised on Lockdown. Actually Jay Rock and his feature talks about how the Revolution will not be televised, and so I feel I'm like, I'm really stoked that people are hearkening back to like the revolutionary roots of spoken word that Gil kind of helped boost into the

mainstream back in his day. Like I'm glad we're kind of circling back around to those ideas Now it's interesting as well that Drey sizes his inspiration for the track that he's a huge fan of m W. A Ice cute public enemy in Tupac and that you know, they spoke truth of power in their music and he felt

compelled to do the same. Interestingly, he takes a different stance on violence against cops than some of us IDOL host when he says, in search for more than just a message here, how about I send one spend the block like the precinct up and hit a cop. You're crazy, you're talking about killing cops? Fuck that all? I see his ops popping iced tea in the drop, so like he's like, no, niggas, don't be out here killing cops.

And he's very right. I interpreted that is not necessarily a declaration, but again like one of those internal monologues, because even it almost sounds like the you crazy, you're talking about killing cops. You have a different voice to it. You cops, you talking about killing cops. It's like the

Angel and the devil. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, Okay, So I really am excited to talk about My favorite track in this whole crop is Terroris Martin featuring Denzel Curry Daylett, and Kamassi Washington, as well as Chiparico, Pig Feetigee, so fucking dope. Let's check this out, White Life, Stock Into Twilight, sing Hot Prey, catch up with Mott You Mitchell, don't mind? Okay? Instantly it gives me a rage against the machine kind

of vibe for work. But then commosity of Watchington with the Sacks also puts this layer like seventies black sportation film score in it. You know what that Sacks reminds me of? Um, have you ever seen Spike Leaves Malcolm X. Yeah, the score was done by Terrence Blanchard, and it has like that sort of crazy, wildly jazz sax to it that really reminds me of that. I thought that that was the almost I wonder if that was the field

that they were going forward. Yeah yeah, but um yeah another song is really good Daylights Verse, very impressionistic, like I kind of don't know what the fun he's talking about, but I feel it. I feel it though, so and then I like how you know? In the first first of Zel refers to the class of Snoop Dog line for Dr Dre's ninety two Little Ghetto Boy, when he talks about murder. Was the case that gave me another throwback to some O G some O G lines, Um,

what do you think about? So? Like, in contrast to the devil on either shoulder in the dre song the Cool and Cool and dre Um, this one. In the intro woman is hurt, screaming because I'm not in person which has killed on the police. And then halfway through the song her voice is hurt again and the man is heard calling for it, told me to swing the car around, and him cocking a gun for revenge again. I don't necessarily think that everything that every depiction is advocacy,

you know what I'm saying. So just because a song is bringing for at that point of view, I don't think that the instant message for that is, oh, let's get a gun and go fight, you know, shoot shoot cops and get revenge. It's just it's just painting, like a mind frame and like, you know, a state of mind that people are in. People are hurting, you know, I'm saying, people are angry, people are upset, and that's what art is for, you know. I mean, that's just me.

I don't I don't believe that. I don't believe that share that controls your brain. I know better than that. That's game. And then of course we've got to talk about r t J four, which was already slated to come out and then dilated to come out a little bit later, but they released it early, and they released it kind of for free where you could just stream it, you can get it. So but they've already I've always embraced this revolutionary aesthetic, if not like over you know,

I mean just listening to it. You hear you hear lines and gems throughout the album where you're like, damn, this motherfucker's right the shoot like now you know what I'm saying. Right, they've kind of been about that life.

I mean, like it's it's a brutal contrast between what Kilor Mike had to say in his press conference with Atlanta Mayor Kisha Lance bottoms Um when violence was starting to break out in Atlanta Um urging people to you know, vote, urging people to not burn stuff down because of all the black businesses in Atlanta, versus this nigga has been about, Like when you nigga's going to unite and killed the Polis. Motherfucker's for like years, and so like I just have

to take it with a grain of salt. It's like you think I want to put on and like Bob too, as I like get hyped up to go out in the streets and stuff. But like I mean, I hear you. This is another one of those instances where it's like, I think rappers have the freedom or artists have the freedom to not be literal and everything that they do, you know. But also it's like the music clashing with the realities of real life. I don't know. Maybe we can ask him about this one day. We'll ask him

one day. We'll ask him one day. My favorite line on r t J four though, is when he is when Mike goes, I support the sex workers unionized and their services. Shout out of the sex worker. I know it's hard times in a pandemic for y'all. Hazard pay. The main reason that the RTJ is honorable mention there is just because of when it was made. Because a lot of as a matter of fact, I think all of the songs that we actually put on the list,

we're actually written and reported in this last month. So and with that is our episode best it you feel like rapping of course I feel like rapping you guys want to hear us rap. Of course you want to hear his rap. Let's get a beat. Oh yeah, yeah, dope, uh so boof for dot but not that proper stuff for substenance, more like some squash it. But I'm not processed for pumpkin dip cup for the lumps in it,

but at the west move. So the assumption is the substance win a really honestly haven't said nothing yet, equal parts exhibitionists and for punishment people hearted existeptualists not really publishing better bill caps so fat well. If you understood, you'd understand that these stands is a functionally subject list. But I guess it's a cut up up all the

duck from the dumpster ship that radio is relish. The club's bumping the youngsters nick watched me, whip, watched me name, they watched me get fucking puffing it for profit bust some highly accompas Harvard economists sits book on the flip Dot Martin's propped on the complets of all the workers and all of the optics who attick to get the OPTI stick quickly hollow dot liscens watching they Benjaminton the Washington thought Dwy and Richard entertain the cooks for it

political never get any place, and said, I'm straightning metal for as up in my kitchen, A senting then the great and sending the Hey, yo. This is the story y'all about how the Knife came up with a new lifestyle that you like. Wow, I'm try of seeing u y style. I'm sucking pissed. I ain't trying to be too nice now. It all started at age six, when I came to hate this makeshift made trix I'm talking about fake ship. Then I became eight bitch like I got a facelift the grapes Hip, and then I got

the urge to say ship thirteen. I went crazy and thoughted to hear things. I thought I could rebel a bit if I get in a piercing ear ring. I didn't give a damn with my pierced thing. And then I got crazy, started thinking the weird things, like being on a motherfucking podcast where I could grab the microphone and hear the bomb bass talk Helen ship like a militant still equipped. The wrapper is rapping like you were literate.

I've been dope since I was a little kid. Now I'm just sitting here, wrapping until I'm skinny with the little ribs. I'm eating so many rappers. I need to get a bib. We're about to end. To see you next. We can hear our ship. See you next week. My name's Dope Knife. We are waiting on reparations. Hurry up. Waiting on Reparations is a production of I Heart Radio. Listen to Waiting on Reparations on the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.