The quintessential anthem against police brutality is NWA’s “Fuck the Police.” The lyric that always hits me is when Easy E says: “My identity by itself causes violence.” My personal favorite song describing police abuse is “War on Drugs” by 2 Black 2 Strong MMGs which came out in the early 90s. The key lyric in that song for me is “the war on drugs is a war on just us.” The main complaint of the song is that people of color and poor people’s civil rights are being violated to justify the war on drugs while “Scarface is sitting up in the White House.”

Rappers have been describing the fragile and usually antagonistic relationship between people of color and law enforcement for decades. Usually, they rely on imagery about war and characterize the police as an occupying force. I have received several e-mails over the past few months since I started this blog asking for my favorite hip hop songs that address police violence. Below is a partial list:

Batterram by Toddy Tee
I was a teenager when this song came out in the 1980s. It was prescient in its discussion of the militarization of the police.

Mayor of the city, what you’re tryin to do?
They say they voted you in in ’82
(But on the next term) huh, without no doubt
They say they gon’ vote your jack ass out
Because you musta been crazy or half-way wack
(To legalize somethin that works like that)
And the Chief of Police says he just might
(Flatten out every house he sees on sight)
Because he say the rockman is takin him for a fool
And for some damn reason it just ain’t cool
And when he drives down the street, I tell you the truth
He gets no respect, they call his force F Troop
He can’t stand it, he can’t take no more
And now he’s gonna have you all fall into the floor
And Mister Rockman, you better stop some day
Hang it up homeboy, your house will pay

MC and the MADD Circle “Behind Closed Doors”

Kid Frost “I Got Pulled Over”

KRS-One “Sound Of Da Police”
“Yeah, officer from overseer / You need a little clarity? / Check the similarity!”

Dead Prez “Police State”
“FBI spyin on us through the radio antennas
And them hidden cameras in the streetlight watchin society
With no respect for the people’s right to privacy
I’ll take a slug for the cause like Huey P.”

Cypress Hill “Pigs”

Ice Cube “Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)”

KRS-One “Who Will Protect Me From You?”

J Dilla “Fuck the Police”

“Now tell me who protects me from you? / I got people that buy TECs and weed from you.”

Ice-T “Escape the Killing Fields”

2 Black 2 Strong “Iceman Cometh”

Jasiri X “Oscar Grant”

Metro P “Price Tag”

Fly Benzo “War on Terror”

B. Dolan et al. “Film the Police”