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Political hip hop
Stylistic origins
Hip hop
protest songs
Cultural origins
1980s
Derivative forms
Conscious hip hop
Other topics
List of artists
progressive rap
alternative rap
gangsta rap
hardcore hip hop
Founders of rap group Public Enemy, Chuck D and Flavor Flav
Political hip hop is a subgenre of hip hop music that was developed in the 1980s as a way of turning hip hop into a form of political activism. Political hip hop generally uses the medium of hip hop music to comment on sociopolitical issues and send political messages to inspire action, create social change, or to convince the listener of a particular worldview. It was inspired partially by politically-focused 1970s artists such as The Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron, as well as the Black Power movement and revolutionary politics of the 1960s and 1970s. Various hip hop artists emerged in the late 1980s espousing political messages and providing social and political commentary with KRS-One and his group Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy in particular establishing themselves as some of the first predominantly political hip hop groups with albums in 1988. Soon to follow in 1989 and following years were other Political rappers, or known as "Conscious rap" including such groups as X-Clan, Poor Righteous Teachers, Paris (rapper), Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy and others [1] The genre has helped to create a new form of social expression for subordinate groups to speak about their exclusions, injustices, and lack of power.[2][3]
There is no all-encompassing political hip hop ideology, rather, there are multiple perspectives that range anywhere from anarchism to Marxism to the values of the Five-Percent Nation. Hip hop and politics have long been intertwined, with many hip hop artists using their music as a means to speak out about political and social issues and express their views on current events. Over the years, there have been a number of hip hop songs that have addressed political issues such as police brutality, racism, and poverty, among others. Some well-known examples of political hip hop songs include:
The Message (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five song) (1982)
Fight the Power by Public Enemy (1988)
Stop The Violence by Boogie Down Productions (1988)
Fuck tha Police by N.W.A. (1988)
Heed The Word Of The Brother by X Clan (1990)
Changes by Tupac Shakur (1998)
[4][5]
Many hip hop artists have also been involved in political activism outside of their music. For example, Chuck D of Public Enemy has been involved in a number of political campaigns and organizations, and has used his music and public platform to speak out about issues such as police brutality and racism. Similarly, rapper and activist Common has been involved in a number of social justice causes, and has used his music to address issues such as police violence and racial inequality.[4]
^Political Rap, 2024, retrieved February 4, 2024
^Rhythm, rhyme and reason: hip hop expressivity as political discourse",
^"Political Rap: The Music of Oppositional Resistance",(subscription required)
^ abPerry, Imani (November 30, 2004). Prophets of the Hood. Duke University Press. doi:10.2307/j.ctv31jm90p. ISBN 978-0-8223-8615-5.
^100 Essential Political & Conscious Hip Hop Albums, 2021, retrieved February 2, 2024
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