Hip Hop’s Legacy of Speaking Up Continues in Response to George Floyd’s Murder

Music is said to reflect the times and also predict where society is heading. Hip Hop, introduced by Black youth as an outlet in neglected neighborhoods, emerged as the ashes from two decades of the Bronx burning were still in the air. Having these origins, it’s expected that artists would be vocal about injustices like police brutality.

As the Bronx tried to rebuild, Melle Mel penned The Message (1982) and right after LA hosted the 1984 Olympics Toddy Tee dropped The Batterram. Melle Mel and Toddy Tee, although on different coasts were speaking to over-policing and divestment that their Bronx and Compton neighborhoods were coping with. Four years before Los Angeles witnessed the 1992 Riots, NWA dropped the Fuck the Police, as Public Enemy called on Black and Brown communities to proactively Fight the Power.

In 2020, people are coping with compounded stress and anxiety caused by generations of police brutality, over-policing, and limited economic opportunities in communities of color, primarily Black neighborhoods. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, artists including J. Cole and Bun B have joined marches, while Killer Mike and Ice Cube have provided strategy on how to mobilize and activate.