Police Brutality and Corruption: NWA "Fuck Da Police"

"Fuck Tha Police" is a protest song by the influential rap group NWA. The song was released in 1988 and although it wasn't a single, off the album Straight Outta Compton, it ranked #417 on Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song proved to be highly controversial as well as gaining tremendous recognition for its vulgar and obscene lyrics. Such lines as: 
Ice Cube will swarm
On any muthafucka in a blue uniform
Just cuz I'm from the CPT, punk police are afraid of me
A young n**** on a warpath
And when I'm finished, it's gonna be a bloodbath
Of cops, dyin in LA

The song highlighted problems between black urban youths and police officers. The song became more powerful, four years after its release, with 1992 LA Riots and Rodney King incident. 

"Fuck Tha Police" wasn't just a regular protest song. It didn't just highlight the problem of police and corruption, it implicitly encourage listeners to fight back. The promotion of violence against police swayed a listener to be with NWA or on the police side. 

"I'm a sniper with a hell of a scope/Taking out a cop or two, they can't cope/with me" and "A sucka in a uniform waitin' to get shot/by me, or anotha n****" 

The song has been covered by several artist and bands from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to Dope, and Soulfly. The lyrics have proven, at concerts, to be arousing and effective at rowdy-ing concert goers. On 10th April 2011, New Zealand dub musician Tiki Taane was arrested on charges of "disorderly behaviour likely to cause violence to start or continue" after performing the song at a gig in a club in Tauranga during an inspection of the club by the police.

Michael Jackson - Police Brutality

"They Don't Really Care About Us," is Michael Jackson's fourth single from his album titled: HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book 1 released on April 1, 1996. Michael Jackson's "They Don't Care About Us" was meant to target racism and police brutality, but its use of anti-semitic words backfired on the King of Pop. The offending words, Jackson claimed, were taken out of context by the media. Nevertheless, the controversy surrounding the song resulted in its little to no airplay in the US. Director Spike Lee directed two videos for the single, one filmed in a Rio de Janeiro favela and the other in a U.S. prison. The song's hand-clap beats and Jackson's embattled voice are a stirring reminder of the social ills which continue to plague Brazilian society, American prisons and the rest of the world. The media's focus on Jackson's misinterpreted anti-semitic lyrics, took away from the protest song in its entirety. Most didn't see it as a protest song, let alone, a song about police brutality. Michael, as well, targeted general injustices of our society. Michael uses clear lines such as 
Tell me what has become of my rights
Am I invisible because you ignore me?
Your proclamation promised me free liberty, now
I'm tired of bein' the victim of shame
They're throwing me in a class with a bad name
I can't believe this is the land from which I came
You know I do really hate to say it
The government don't wanna see
But if Roosevelt was livin'
He wouldn't let this be, no, no


Michael was targeting the government and bringing forth attention to various acts of injustice of the government 

Video shot in Rio

Second version 

Police Brutality and Corruption

It seems almost every week there is a news report on police misconduct. Whether it be police brutality or corruption within local police departments. I read an article that spoke to the brutality the peaceful protesters of the "Occupy" movement across the nation (and now the world) have been facing. I decided to research the statistics of police brutalities and misconducts . I discovered that between April 2009 to June 2010: 5,986 reports of misconducts have been reported. Of those reports 382 were fatalities, and $347,455,000 has been spent in related settlements and judgements. I found it interesting that those who are meant to serve and protect cause a good amount of crime and discontent within communities. Yes, police do a great deal and provide a type of order and structure that if society went without there would be anarchy.

After 9/11 police agencies scrambled to fill spots and vacancies of officers. This probably led to an abundant amount of untrained officers, although this is not an excuse nor explains the reasoning behind corruption or the police beatings. It is also important to note that lack of prosecutions within these cases. 

The Sean Bell case is probably the last decades biggest police brutality case, similar to the Rodney King beating of 1991. This case consisted of three cops firing fifty shots at three unarmed men killing one of them. The three cops were acquitted of all chargers. 

Family Guy, Informative and Cultural

When one thinks of Family Guy, they think of an animated series that consists of stupid humor and usually offensive jokes. Those who do not enjoy Family Guy (and those poor souls do not know what they're missing) probably loath the show because they may find it pointless and more or less damaging to brain cells. I disagree.  Aside from it just consisting of pure hilarity, the sunday prime time fox series, is just a reflection of today's culture. 

The show centers around Peter Griffin and his family, along with anthropomorphic dog Brian, who live in the fictional city of Quahog, Rhode Island. Each episode consists of the trials and tribulations the family endures in their everyday lives. Much of the humor and jokes that the show consists of pokes fun at American culture. Family Guy attacks racism, stereotypes, social norms and perceptions, music, film, etc. 

Family Guy can be looked at as informative, if one can look passed the "crude" or "offensive" jokes. The series is extremely reflective of our society today. The 12 year old series is consists of offensive material yet it is extremely popular in our society. The show has been nominated for 12 Primetime Emmy Awards and 11 Annie Awards and has one 3 of each. This reflects a major ideology and unconscious behavior of our culture. As a culture we either love things that make us uneasy, as well humor that consist of sensitive topics (like racism), or we get upset and want to protest against any small reference to something we may not agree with. 

This video had PETA highly upset and offended. 

Family Guy on purpose or accidentally brings attention to the sensitivity that exists in todays culture. Here are several clips of family guy that, although are racy, get at the heart of what the series is does. 

Although raunchy at moments Family Guy is hilarious (to me at least) but symbolizes in so many ways what our culture and society has become today. From what we choose to laugh at and allow on TV, to the material we give the series to use as fuel. 

Lil Wayne - Lollipop

Lollipop by Lil Wayne was released March 13th, 2008. It was Wayne's first single off Tha Carter 3 and won a Grammy Award in Feb. 2009 for Best Rap Song. In addition it was ranked #5 in Rolling Stones Best 100 Songs of 2008. It was aired consistently on radio stations throughout the nation and could be found on any hip-hop fan's ipod.  The songs content isn't the most conscious nor PG-13, yet it had a huge impact in the hip-hop game and there weren't many people that didn't like the song. 

"Lollipop" essentially is about oral sex. If one took a second to analyze the song they'd easily derive that the song in its most basic meaning is degrading to women. The tune has a captivating beat and a catchy hook, which by today's standard is what is all that is needed for a song to do well. 

Plato would approve of this song because it does not encourage or promote intellect. Plato would disagree with any music that would encourage the listener to be different or that would possibly disrupt what society has already set in place. Lollipop is the perfect song for Plato's ideology. Its a meaningless song that allows the listener to not focus on anything important except well, oral sex. 

Lupe Fiasco...American Terrorist

Lupe Fiasco is well known for his conscious music. Lupe Fiasco has a habit of creating songs that allude to a deeper meaning that his listeners have to dig for comprehension, that is not the case with "American Terrorist". Lupe blatantly attacks America's actions and our society. He classifies some of our nations history as domestic terrorism, and challenges his listeners to have a broader perspective and think outside the box. Lupe doesn't stick to just one topic or idea to criticize about America. Over the course of the song he attacks bigger/typical issues such as: slavery, and the economy to issues that aren't spoken of as much. For example the assimilation of Native Americans, religious warfare, lack of schools, America's White man's burden ideology etc.

Lupe Fiasco brings attention to American societies' criticism of other people and indirectly encourages us stop to analyze the doings of our own people. 

Now if a muslim woman strapped with a bomb on a bus

With the seconds running give you the jitters?Just imagine a American-based Christian organization Planning to poison water supplies to bring the second-coming quicker

He’s trying to say look outside of your narrow mindset and realize that people who belong to all religions have the potential and capacity to do something horrendous, due to insanity and extreme indoctrination. Don’t associate potential violence to just one group of people due to your limited perception

He could also be referring to the governments insisting on putting unnecessary traces of fluoride in drinking water.. Fluoride being in most toothpastes to kill germs that cause cavities.. but its also used in pesticides and is a toxic substance

Also, in an interview with XXL before Food and Liquor was released, Lupe mentioned that he read an article that mentioned a Christian Organization planning on poisoning water to kick start the second coming of Christ

Lupe is most likely referring to how if a white American group does something its known as a patriotic act, not domestic terrorism, without a question regardless of it adverse effects. However when a Muslim American or any other person of a faith outside of Christianity or Catholicism, doe something similar it is known as domestic terrorism or terrorism

Lastly, which I find interesting about Lupe and his way of thinking, in his last verse Lupe Fiasco suggest that he would take hands with a poor racist white man because to him class is more important than race. Lupe on this song, as well as the majority of his other songs, doesn't quite offer a solution to America's problem but more so just bringing awareness and educating his listeners on the unjust/inhumane things our "great" country has done. Lupe ends the song with repeating:

Don't give the black man food, give red man liquor

Red man fool, black man nigga

Give yellow man tool, make him railroad builder

Also give him pan, make him pull gold from river

Give black man crack, Glocks and things

Give red man craps, slot machines

These lines refer to ill treatment of African-Americans, Native Americans, and Asians in our country but most of this history (such as the treatment of Asian immigrants) is rarely spoken of and not commonly known. Lupe's American Terrorist is effective in bringing awareness and forcing one to think, but lacks much of a solution but although there cannot be much of a solution to something that has already passed. 

Anti-bullying? ...Too Soft

Over the last few weeks I've made a few post that were against the normal/popular social opinion about various topics. Part of me create these posts because I simply just like being controversial, also because I truly believe in what I'm saying, but as well as whats the point of having this blog (aside from it having an affect on my grade) if one isn't going to say what they truly feel or believe. With that being said this post may agitate a few people especially if it is a sensitive topic for some.

Over the past year or so various anti-bullying laws have been implemented in the school systems across the nation. Part of this annoys me. I believe there is simply no need for any of these regulations. Have people really become that soft these days? Maybe with my background and how I was raised I'm possibly being too harsh but I think not.

Several suicides, over the years, have occurred in different regions of the nation due to internet/cyper bullying. While I am COMPLETELY empathetic, and have a great deal of empathy for the parents who lost their children due to internet bullying (as I could only imagine how distraught my mother would be if something ill ever fell upon me) I think there are a few things that need to be addressed particularly with internet bullying.

I thought of going into a back story of how we were all at some point bullied growing up and yaddie yaddie yah. Back in the day bullying was more personal as it was usually down physically. Truth is the majority of us were bullied,  but we got over it by either fighting back or waiting until it Big Tim stopped needing our lunch money or picked up another pastime. These days internet/cyber bullying is the new trend which has me baffled as to how it can even exist as a term. I've heard stories of how teens were and still are bullied by being threatened or spoken to harshly over Instant Messaging as well as through social networks. Here is where my annoyance comes in. One commits suicide because he/she was being harassed over the internet? Does the computer not turn off? Are you glued to the seat that sits you in front of the computer? Does one not have enough self confidence in who they are to disregard what someone, whom probably has no significant meaning to the person that is being harassed, has to say to them? In the days of being harassed on the playground the bully inflicting the physical pain on the "victim" nowadays the victim inflicts the damage on one's self?

Aside from how absurd the anti-bullying laws are I don't believe they are the answer to stopping the suicides or the hurt teens are facing across the nation. Are we (teens) not strong enough to deal with problems as minuscule as someone writing negative comments about us or making nasty statements about our sexual orientation or perhaps falsifying that a group of people may hate you. I think the change needs to start with the self esteem and confidence level of younger teens today.  People need to toughen up and realize there is worse shit in this world then being hated by someone you barely to not at all know.