Lookin at You Move Is Like a Motherfucking Art Piece
15 of the Nearly Controversial Lines in Hip-Hop History
Ice Cube's "Black Korea" is one of the most contersersal rap songs e'er. The song, which includes lyrics about annexation Korean-owned stores, was vehemently opposed by members of the Korean-American community. Photo Credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Images
We look back on 15 controversial rap lyrics over the last 35 years. These are occasions in which a rapper's lyrics crossed the line or evoked a public outcry.
Trigger warning: This story contains mentions of rape, homophobia, and racism.
Freedom of speech has been a right that rap artists have been fighting for equally long hip-hop has been around. Numerous figures within hip-hop having put their careers on the line to ensure their power to speak their mind without fearfulness of censorship. Whether it be acts similar N.Due west.A., who infamously received a letter from the F.B.I. in response to the group ripping law enforcement a new one with their Direct Outta Compton runway "Fuck tha Law" or 2 Live Crew — who's music and live performances prompted a U.S. district court judge to dominion their 1989 anthology, As Nasty equally They Wanna Be, as obscene and illegal to sell in the land of Florida — the lines between what'south acceptable and what'due south not in regards to rap lyrics have been debated for years.
And while legal action or memos from federal agencies aren't ever a part of the scenario, in that location have been a number of instances in which rap artists have been taken to task for their lyrical content, by political pundits, special involvement groups, and even their ain fans. In some cases, the backfire was so overwhelming that it forced the hands of the artists or their tape labels to either edit or remove offensive lyrics entirely, a reminder that in that location is always the possibility of consequences and repercussions for speaking your heed, fifty-fifty in a genre that celebrates "keeping it real."
One of the well-nigh recent examples of this is rapper YG, who's song "Run into the Flockers," from his 2014 debut My Krazy Life, came under fire due to lyrics deemed offensive to the Asian community. Following pushback from YouTube staffers, the vocal was pulled from the platform and other streaming services before being added back a couple of days later, admitting with edits to the lyrics in question. Another contempo instance where a rapper was accused of toeing over the line was when lyrics from "Don't Worry (RIP Kobe)," Meek Mill's leaked collaboration with Lil Baby, saw the Philly-bred rapper referencing the tragic helicopter crash that took the lives of NBA champion Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna Bryant, and vii others on Jan. 26, 2020. The bars ("Yeah, and if I ever lack, I'grand goin' out with my chopper, information technology be another Kobe") led to Vanessa Bryant, the late NBA legend'south married woman, to scold Meek for his lack of tact and distasteful choice of words, leading the Dreamchaser to issue an apology for his actions.
In calorie-free of these recent incidents, we decided to wait dorsum on xv controversial rap lyrics over the last 35 years. These are occasions in which a rapper's lyrics crossed the line or evoked a public outcry.
1. Ice Cube — "Black Korea" [1991]
Controversial Line: "And so don't follow me upwards and downwardly your market/ Or your trivial chop-suey ass will be a target/ Of the nationwide boycott/ Juice with the people, that's what the male child got/So pay respect to the Black fist/ Or nosotros`ll burn your store right down to a crisp/ And so we`ll see ya/ Cause you can't turn the ghetto into Black Korea."
In 1991, the death of fifteen-twelvemonth-old Los Angeles resident LaTasha Harlins, at the hands of Korean store employee Soon Ja Du, caused an uproar. In LA, African-Americans lashed out over their poor treatment they received while patronizing Korean-owned stores in prominently Blackness neighborhoods. Their acrimony and sentiments would exist channeled later that twelvemonth by rapper Ice Cube on his song "Black Korea," from his sophomore solo anthology Death Certificate. The song, which included lyrics virtually looting Korean-owned stores and causing bodily injury to their employees, was vehemently opposed by members of the Korean-American customs, who spoke out against Cube's rhetoric. However, the lyrics would remain uncensored or edited, earning its place in the pantheon of sociopolitical protest music.
two. Ice-T on Trunk Count'due south "Cop Killer" [1992]
Controversial Line: "I'm 'tour to dust some cops off/cop killer, improve y'all than me/cop killer, fuck constabulary brutality"
A pioneer of reality rap, Ice-T's musings about street life, law brutality, and the corrupt criminal justice organization appointment back to his 1987 debut,Rhyme Pays. During the early on '90s, Ice-T changed course musically, founding the hip-hop-influenced heavy metal band, Body Count, releasing their cocky-titled debut in 1992 to disquisitional acclamation. Ice-T and Body Count gained national attention when their vocal "Cop Killer, which included incendiary lyrics targeting law enforcement, was perceived equally a direct threat to the boys in blue, prompting Vice President Dan Quayle and President George H.W. Bush-league to both publicly condemn the song, as well equally Warner Bros. Music for releasing it. In the end, "Cop Killer" was removed from the album by Ice-T himself in an attempt to avoid any more controversy, and remains one of the more polarizing songs to bear upon the hip-hop community.
3. Paris — "Bush-league Killa" [1992]
Controversial Line: "So don't exist telling me to get the non-tearing spirit/'Cause when I'chiliad fierce is the only time ya devils hear information technology/Rat-a-tat get the gat to his devil face/I hope he thinks of how he done u.s. when he lay to waste"
In 1992, Oakland rapper Paris' politically-charged single "Bush Killa" caused a big stir. The song, from his sophomore album Sleeping with the Enemy, placed a target on the back of President George H. Westward. Bush, and captured the attention of The White House and the Secret Service. With lyrics threatening actual damage and worse to Bush-league, the song caused major concerns among bigwigs at Tommy Boy Records' (which Paris was signed to) parent company, Warner Bros. Records. The label shelled out a six-effigy settlement to Paris for not releasing the album, which was initially intended to drib prior to the 1992 Presidential Election. Eventually released on his own indie label, Scarface Records, "Bush Killa" is 1 of the frequently-disregarded instances of rap lyrics creating shockwaves across the civilisation and society every bit a whole.
four. Sadat 10 on Brand Nubian'due south "Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Downwardly" [1993]
Controversial Line: "Though I tin freak, fly, flow, fuck up a f*gg0t/Don't understand their ways, I ain't down with gays"
On their first release following the departure of pb rapper K Puba, Brand Nubian returned in a big way with their 1992 single "Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Downwards," which was a considerable hit, peaking at No. 77 on the Billboard Hot 100. Withal, lyrics from group member Sadat X that were homophobic cast a lowlight over the song'south success and would be a stain on the rapper's reputation in the wake of its release. Sadat Ten has since apologized for the lyrics, which have been omitted or replaced on subsequent pressings of the song.
5. The Notorious B.I.G. — "Gimme The Loot" [1994]
Controversial Line: "Then I'm dippin' up the block and I'm robbin' bitches, likewise/Upward the herringbones and bamboos/I wouldn't give a fuck if you're pregnant/Give me the baby rings and the #1 Mom pendant"
Having already landed himself in hot h2o with MCA Records due to his mention of R&B fable Patti LaBelle on the Ready to Dice promo cut "Just Playing (Dreams)," The Notorious B.I.M. solidified his reputation as a exact heathen with a few lyrics on the robbery anthem "Gimme the Boodle." Targeting unsuspecting significant mothers for their jewelry, Biggie's bars ruffled quite a few feathers, including that of Bad Boy CEO Sean "Diddy" Combs, who ultimately had the line edited out in an attempt to fend off any considerable boycotts of the album.
6. 2Pac on 2Pac & Thousand-Ci & JoJo's "How Do U Want It" [1996]
Controversial Line: " C. Delores Tucker, y'all's a motherfucker/Instead of tryin' to help a nigga, y'all destroy a brother/Worse than the others; Bill Clinton, Mister Bob Dole/Yous're too sometime to empathize the way the game's told"
In the early '90s, politico and ceremonious rights activist C. Delores Tucker was ane of the staunchest opponents of gangster rap, boycotting diverse rap artists and albums, and going as far equally buying stock in companies to chastise executives at their shareholders' meetings. In 1996, 2Pac, a longtime target of political pundits and social activists, fired back at Tucker, proper noun-checking her on his 1996 hit single "How Practise U Want It." Referencing her attempts to destroy gangster rap, "How Do U Want Information technology" infuriated Tucker, who filed a $10 million lawsuit against Shakur's manor following his death, citing emotional distress and slander. The adapt was ultimately dismissed. However, the lyric continues to remain in infamy.
vii. DMX — "X Is Coming" [1998]
Controversial Line: "And if you lot got a daughter older than xv, I'mma rape her/Accept her on the living room floor, right in that location in front of you/And then inquire you seriously, what you wanna do?"
On his 1998 debut It'south Dark And Hell Is Hot, DMX presented a body of work filled with gruesome accounts of brutal slayings and other violent acts, pushing the envelope of what was tolerable by mainstream audiences in the process. I song in item, "10 Is Coming," drew the ire of special interests groups and pundits due to its graphic nature, with the rapper rhyming most sexually assaulting a modest in front of her parents, in a twisted act of revenge. The line would go uncensored and didn't do much to hinder It's Dark and Hell Is Hot'due south returns on Soundscan; the album moved upwardly of five one thousand thousand units and minting DMX as rap'due south newest antihero.
8. Eminem — "I'g Back" [2000]
Controversial Line: "I have seven [kids] from [Columbine], stand 'em all in line / Add an AK-47, a revolver, a nine / A MAC-11 and information technology oughta solve the trouble of mine / And that's a whole school of bullies shot upward all at one time"
Subsequently making waves with incendiary lyrics from his debut album, The Slim Shady LP, Eminem continued to leave critics in daze with its anticipated follow-up,The Marshall Mathers LP, in 2000. One especially polarizing line from from the album can be found on "I'm Back," which captures Em slipping fully into character equally his alter-ego Slim Shady. He makes reference to the tragic Columbine High Schoolhouse shooting, which took place in Colorado the yr prior. Em'southward timing couldn't have been worse, as the backlash from his Rakim-inspired rhyme scheme caused his characterization to ultimately conscience the lyrics on subsequent album pressings.
9. Juelz Santana on Dipset's "IHoneyYou" [2002]
Controversial Line: "I worship the prophet/The great Mohammed Omar Atta/For his backbone backside the wheel of the airplane/Reminds me when I was dealin' the 'caine."
Their patriotic look and attitude may have made them darlings in the wake of 9/eleven,. Nevertheless, amid the praise surrounding The Diplomats lied scrutiny of a minor string of couplets included on their 2002 cut "I LoveY'all." Released as part of theirDiplomats Volume 2 mixtape, the original version of "ILoveYou lot" finds grouping fellow member JuelzSantana paying what many perceived as homage to nine/11 hijacker Muhammad Atta, likening his fearlessness equally a hustler to the infamous terrorist's "courage behind the wheel of the plane." Those lyrics struck a major nerve upon hitting the streets, with Juelz initially defending the lyrics, arguing that he was referencing the backbone of Atta, not his actions. Yet, when all was said and washed, the version of "IDearYous" that ultimately institute its manner on Diplomatic Amnesty included reworked lyrics by Juelz, signaling a waving of the white flag past the crimson-draped Harlem crew.
10. Iggy Azalea — "D.R.U.G.S." [2011]
Controversial Line: "Tire marks, tire marks / Finish line with the fire marks / When the relay starts, I'm a runaway slave / Master"
In the midst of her public feud with beau rapper Azealia Banks, Iggy Azalea'southward freestyle "D.R.U.Chiliad.Southward." was put nether the microscope later on Banks pointed out lyrics in which Azalea bandage herself equally a "slave master." Released in 2011, the questionable lyric wouldn't be highlighted until the following yr, afterward which Azalea issued an apology, albeit, "In all fairness, information technology was a tacky and careless thing to say and if y'all are offended, I am sorry." However, Azalea would deny any ill intent, pointing to a line from the Kendrick Lamar vocal "Wait Out for Detox" as the inspiration behind the line.
11. Lil Wayne on Future'south "Karate Chop (Remix)" [2013]
Controversial Line: "'Bout to put rims on my skateboard wheels/ Crush the pussy up like Emmett Till"
Future appeared to have one of the hottest remixes of the yr with "Karate Chop," which included a standout verse from Lil Wayne. However, the buzz surrounding the song was stifled due to bars comparing the ability of Wayne'south sexual prowess to the brutal death of Emmitt Till, drawing a considerable amount of ire from the Black community and the Till family itself. Airickca Gordon-Taylor, the founding managing director of the Mamie Till Mobley Memorial Foundation, issued a argument deeming Wayne's lyrics every bit "very disrespectful," causing Epic Records to pull the lyrics from the official remix and Mountain Dew to drop Weezy as a spokesperson for the company.
12. Rick Ross on Rocko & Future's "U.O.E.N.O" [2013]
Controversial Line: "Put Molly all in her champagne, she ain't even know it/I took her abode and I enjoyed that, she ain't even know it"
In 2013, Rick Ross created an uproar with his appearance on Rocko'due south hit single "U.O.E.N.O." However, information technology wasn't for the excellence of his artistry, simply the nature of his content. Bragging about engagement-raping an unsuspecting adult female by slipping Molly in her beverage, Rozay'south approval rating took a large hitting, with Reebok choosing to drop the rapper as a brand ambassador. Ross would after release an official apology for his "U.O.E.N.O." lyrics, writing "Most recently, my choice of words was non just offensive, it does not reflect my truthful heart."
xiii. J. Cole on Drake's "Jodeci Freestyle" [2013]
Controversial Line: "Fuck your list you lame niggas and doubters/I'thou undoubtedly the hottest and that's only me bein' modest/Go check the numbers dummy, that's only me gettin' started/I'm artistic, you niggas is autistic, retarded"
Regarded as one of the more than thoughtful and poetic lyricists in the rap game, J. Cole has sometimes crossed boundaries — like on "Villuminati" when he repeatedly used a homophobic slur to get a pun off or on his recently released L.A. Leakers freestyle when he flippantly dropped a Bill Cosby reference in his poetry. In 2013, he found himself in the eye of the storm that is public scrutiny for rhymes he spit on Drake's loosie "Jodeci Freestyle." On the song, Cole pegged his rivals every bit "autistic" and "retarded." The lyrics didn't sit well with the US clemency Autism Speaks, who spoke via a blog written by a parent of an autistic child, urging Cole and Drake to consider the touch on of their words. Fully apologetic, J. Cole would release multiple statements taking accountability and atoning for his actions, and has since edited out the lyric on the song, likewise as lyric-based websites featuring the vocal.
14. Rich Homie Quan on Rich Gang's "I Made It" [2014]
Controversial Line: "I don't want your ho, merely want that cookie from her/ She tried to resist then I took it from her/ How are you gonna tell me no?/ Yous must non know who I am"
Atlanta rapper Rich Homie Quan was the subject of intense scrutiny upon an unexpected leak of a song containing lyrics that cast the "Blazon of Mode" creator in the calorie-free of a predator. Those lyrics, spat on "I Made It," Quan's 2015 collaboration with Young Thug, would cause the quondam Rich Gang fellow member to outcome a statement saying that the vocal, "Was never intended to be released," adding that he would, 'Never condone rape." However, just a month later, nevertheless some other vocal from the original batch of leaks containing pro-rape lyrics was brought to light, further damaging Rich Homie Quan'due south reputation.
15. Troy Ave — "Bad Ass" [2016]
Controversial Line: "STEEZ called-for in Hell, my burner's in my belt / I'k really killing shit, y'all niggas killing yourself / Fucking weirdos, off the roof, 'Steer clear yo!'"
In hip-hop, all is fair in love and war under normal circumstances. However, there take been a few instances throughout history in which artists have been attacked for crossing the line. In 2016, Troy Ave was added to that list later on "Bad Ass," his diss record aimed at fellow Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$, included shots at deceased Pro Era fellow member Capital STEEZ, with Ave poking fun at the rappers' expiry past suicide, which occurred in 2012. A number of media outlets, friends and peers of STEEZ — every bit well every bit Ave —spoke out, accusing him of taking the beefiness too far. Even so, in spite of the backfire, Troy Ave would stand past his words, and had nevertheless to event an amends to STEEZ's family or crew for his statements.
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Preezy Brown is a New York Urban center-based reporter and writer, filling the empty spaces inside street and urban culture. A product of the Schoolhouse of Hard Knocks, Magna Cum Laude. The Crooklyn Dodger. Got Blunt?
oliverthaverefull.blogspot.com
Source: https://www.okayplayer.com/music/controversial-rap-lyrics-in-hip-hop.html
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