{"id":11877,"date":"2020-08-21T10:52:51","date_gmt":"2020-08-21T15:52:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/?p=11877"},"modified":"2026-05-07T16:04:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T21:04:56","slug":"winnipeg-state-of-mind-black-lives-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/2020\/08\/21\/winnipeg-state-of-mind-black-lives-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"Winnipeg State of Mind :: Black Lives Matter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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by Nigel Webber<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere could never be justice on stolen land\u201d – KRS One<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I immediately thought of that scene from \u201cNetwork.\u201d \u201cI\u2019m mad as hell and I\u2019m not gonna take this anymore!\u201d It feels like the whole world is there right now. As it should be. But there was another, less quoted, line from that same monologue which stood out, \u201cI\u2019m a human being, goddammit, my life has value!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The prescience of good, meaningful art, whether in films like \u201cNetwork\u201d or rap music, is that it has the ability to deliver universal truths in a context everyday people understand easily. Meaning, in extraordinary times like those in which we live, music will not solve any problems. But, the hope is, the right music can deliver a message in a clearer, more memorable way than regular speech can. Examining the history of music can also help provide some semblance of context for the current raised awareness of police brutality on communities of Colour. This list is by no means comprehensive, but includes a mix of classics, brand new tracks made in the wake of George Floyd\u2019s death, and local favourites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black Lives Matter.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NWA – \u201cFuck The Police\u201d 1988<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a reason this song is still the most known anti-police brutality song. While not inventing the sub-genre, even within rap music, \u201cFuck The Police\u201d perfected it. Few songs in the history of rap can stake claim to there being a \u2018before\u2019 that song, and then a definite \u2018after.\u2019 \u201cFuck The Police,\u201d arguably the most important five minutes recorded on wax, is documentary evidence of the LAPD\u2019s brutal gang mindset in the 1980s. Verses by Ice Cube, MC Ren and Eazy E detail the harassment they experienced at the hands of racist cops on an everyday basis. Seeing this song blasted on loud speakers in front of the police headquarters was a beautiful sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Main Source – \u201cFriendly Game of Baseball\u201d 1991<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leave it to Large Professor to come up with the best metaphors, using baseball as an analogy for police violence. The anger in Large Professor\u2019s voice is palpable as he raps memorable lines like, \u201cMy life is valuable and I protect it like a gem,\u201d and, \u201cdead is my antonym.\u201d By presenting the same material as most of the other songs on this list, but through the metaphorical lens of baseball, Main Source created one of the most thought-provoking, ear-worm songs listed here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

State of Mind – \u201cJus\u2019 Talkin\u2019\u201d 1992<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winnipeg\u2019s first ever official, physical release of rap music, \u201cJus\u2019 Talkin\u2019\u201d is a response to the uprising in Los Angeles that followed the acquittal of the police who were caught on camera attacking Rodney King. Released as a cassingle only a few months after the LA uprising, \u201cJus\u2019 Talkin\u2019\u201d is a plea for unity, a humanist approach. Rapper Chris Knight\u2019s commanding delivery and the catchy chorus make the track a classic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

KRS One – \u201cSound of da Police\u201d 1993<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NWA \u201cFuck The Police\u201d is the greatest anti-police song, but it is thoroughly from the street-level viewpoint. Of course, it\u2019s the Teacher, KRS, who gives us the defining philosophical argument against police in rap music. Every song on the topic since owes something to KRS and his ability to connect modern policing and its racist beginnings in slave patrols, all through the words, \u201cofficer\u201d and \u201coverseer.\u201d \u201cNeed a little clarity? \/ Check the similarity!\u201d Coupled with the unforgettable chorus, Showbiz\u2019s boom-bap beat, and KRS One\u2019s knowledge, \u201cSound of da Police\u201d should be taught in schools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rondo & Crazy Rak – \u201cNo Justice, No Peace\u201d 1993<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another response to the Rodney King verdicts, this little known Bay Area duo delivers a raw yet funky entry to this list. \u201cNo Justice, No Peace\u201d is a street-level response to police brutality. Over a staccato beat and a jazzy saxophone, Rondo raps lines like, \u201cit\u2019s going down in history \/ World War III is what it finsta be \/ cops getting off scot-free gets me,\u201d expressing a revolutionary anger that was boiling over in the wake of the Rodney King verdicts, particularly in California. Adopting a Malcolm X-like \u201cby any means necessary,\u201d mentality, Rondo\u2019s closing lines, addressing the listener, say, \u201ckeep pushing the issue, Black \/ use force if you have to.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fermented Reptile – \u201cThe Law\u201d 1999<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking on the characters of a cop and a boss, the Fermented duo of Gruf and Pip Skid make a visceral connection between forms of power on \u201cThe Law.\u201d The cops are there to protect the boss and their property, not the people or their lives. When the massive problems with police are presented from one of their own perspectives, in an unvarnished way, there\u2019s no hiding from their systemically destructive nature. Winnipeg\u2019s own Fermented Reptile were so ahead of their time we\u2019re only just starting to catch up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kairo – \u201cSound of the Police\u201d 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indebted to many of the earlier tracks off this list, local rapper Kairo distills the sub-genre down to its essence on \u201cSound of the Police.\u201d Over an eerie Hoopaloop beat, Kairo\u2019s raps create a vivid picture in the listeners mind. As he details the cops intimidation and harassment techniques, you feel the anguish and exasperation in Kairo\u2019s delivery. An important voice in contemporary Winnipeg hip-hop, Kairo speaks some truth on this track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Super Duty Tough Work – \u201cFTP\u201d 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Owing more to the J Dilla version of \u201cFTP\u201d than any other, local heavyweights Super Duty Tough Work bring a modern and Canadian context to anti-police brutality rap songs. 30 years earlier, artists like NWA were targeted by politicians and conservative activists for their anti-police songs. In 2020, Super Duty Tough Work was put on the Long List for the Polaris Music Prize and nominated for \u201cRap and Hip-Hop Artist of the Year\u201d by the Western Canadian Music Awards. The song itself calls out cops for sexually assaulting women, something largely ignored previously on this list; mentions the Colten Boushie case; body cameras failing; and the structural issues that allow police to get away with their violence. Put it on repeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

YG – \u201cFTP\u201d 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Released on June 12th, it\u2019s no surprise that YG has a \u2018fuck the police\u2019 song. Already having a song against the fascist-in-chief (\u201cFuck Donald Trump\u201d) YG is unapologetic in his hatred for police. Breaking down all allusions of neutrality, YG raps, \u201cit\u2019s the Ku Klux cops, got hidden agendas \/ It\u2019s the truth, I won\u2019t stop.\u201d Tragically, hip-hop was robbed from the opportunity of hearing Nipsey Hussle on this track when he was murdered last year. YG does it justice on his own, bringing it home with lines like, \u201cI\u2019m tired of being tired of being tired.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lil Baby – \u201cThe Bigger Picture\u201d 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also released on June 12th, Lil Baby was one of the first major trap artists to put out a response to the recent Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. Expressing sentiments that are far too universal, Lil Baby raps, \u201cI see blue lights I get scared and start running \/ that shit be crazy \/ they supposed to protect us.\u201d Lil Baby was previously not necessarily the most political rapper, but his message on \u201cThe Bigger Picture\u201d connects police brutality to systemic and historical racism. Acknowledging his own status, he raps, \u201cI got power, now I gotta say something.\u201d The brilliance of Lil Baby, however, is his ability to package such an important message on a track that makes you want to hit replay every time. \u201cYou can\u2019t fight fire with fire\/ I know, but at least we can turn up the flames some.\u201d More songs like this in 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honourable Mentions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Body Count – \u201cCop Killer\u201d 1992<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2Pac – \u201cTrapped\u201d 1993<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geto Boys – \u201cCrooked Officer\u201d 1993<\/p>\n\n\n\n

J Dilla – \u201cFTP\u201d 2001<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Killer Mike – \u201cDon\u2019t Die\u201d 2012<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Nigel Webber \u201cThere could never be justice on stolen land\u201d – KRS One I immediately thought of that scene from \u201cNetwork.\u201d \u201cI\u2019m mad as hell and I\u2019m not gonna take this anymore!\u201d It feels like the whole world is there right now. As it should be. But there was another, less quoted, line from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11877","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-columns"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11877","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11877"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11877\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11881,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11877\/revisions\/11881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11877"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11877"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11877"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}