And if You Survive Then Jump Again Sonh
15 of the Most Controversial Lines in Hip-Hop History
Water ice Cube's "Black Korea" is one of the most contersersal rap songs e'er. The vocal, which includes lyrics about looting Korean-owned stores, was vehemently opposed by members of the Korean-American customs. Photograph Credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Images
Nosotros look back on 15 controversial rap lyrics over the concluding 35 years. These are occasions in which a rapper'south 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 as long hip-hop has been around. Numerous figures within hip-hop having put their careers on the line to ensure their ability to speak their mind without fearfulness of censorship. Whether it be acts like N.W.A., who infamously received a letter from the F.B.I. in response to the group ripping police force enforcement a new one with their Straight Outta Compton track "Fuck tha Law" or 2 Alive Crew — who'southward music and live performances prompted a U.South. district courtroom judge to rule their 1989 album, As Nasty every bit They Wanna Exist, equally obscene and illegal to sell in the state of Florida — the lines between what's adequate and what's non in regards to rap lyrics take been debated for years.
And while legal activeness or memos from federal agencies aren't always a part of the scenario, there have been a number of instances in which rap artists have been taken to task for their lyrical content, past political pundits, special interest groups, and even their own fans. In some cases, the backlash was and so overwhelming that it forced the hands of the artists or their record labels to either edit or remove offensive lyrics entirely, a reminder that there is ever the possibility of consequences and repercussions for speaking your listen, even in a genre that celebrates "keeping information technology real."
1 of the well-nigh contempo examples of this is rapper YG, who's song "Meet the Flockers," from his 2014 debut My Krazy Life, came under burn due to lyrics deemed offensive to the Asian community. Following pushback from YouTube staffers, the song was pulled from the platform and other streaming services before beingness added back a couple of days later, albeit 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 Manufactory'southward 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 seven others on Jan. 26, 2020. The confined ("Yeah, and if I ever lack, I'm goin' out with my chopper, information technology exist another Kobe") led to Vanessa Bryant, the belatedly NBA legend's married woman, to scold Meek for his lack of tact and distasteful choice of words, leading the Dreamchaser to result an apology for his actions.
In light of these recent incidents, we decided to look back on 15 controversial rap lyrics over the concluding 35 years. These are occasions in which a rapper'south lyrics crossed the line or evoked a public outcry.
1. Water ice Cube — "Blackness Korea" [1991]
Controversial Line: "So don't follow me up and down your market/ Or your little chop-suey ass volition be a target/ Of the nationwide boycott/ Juice with the people, that'due south what the boy got/So pay respect to the Black fist/ Or we`ll burn your store correct down to a crisp/ And and so we`ll run across ya/ Cause you tin't turn the ghetto into Black Korea."
In 1991, the death of 15-year-old Los Angeles resident LaTasha Harlins, at the easily 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 anger and sentiments would be channeled afterwards that yr by rapper Ice Cube on his song "Black Korea," from his sophomore solo album Expiry Certificate. The song, which included lyrics almost looting Korean-owned stores and causing bodily injury to their employees, was vehemently opposed by members of the Korean-American community, who spoke out against Cube's rhetoric. Nevertheless, the lyrics would remain uncensored or edited, earning its identify in the pantheon of sociopolitical protest music.
two. Ice-T on Body Count's "Cop Killer" [1992]
Controversial Line: "I'm 'bout to dust some cops off/cop killer, better you lot than me/cop killer, fuck police brutality"
A pioneer of reality rap, Water ice-T's musings about street life, constabulary brutality, and the corrupt criminal justice organisation engagement back to his 1987 debut,Rhyme Pays. During the early on '90s, Water ice-T changed course musically, founding the hip-hop-influenced heavy metal band, Torso Count, releasing their self-titled debut in 1992 to critical acclaim. Ice-T and Body Count gained national attending when their song "Cop Killer, which included incendiary lyrics targeting police enforcement, was perceived equally a direct threat to the boys in blue, prompting Vice President Dan Quayle and President George H.Westward. Bush to both publicly condemn the song, as well as Warner Bros. Music for releasing information technology. In the finish, "Cop Killer" was removed from the album past Water ice-T himself in an endeavour to avoid whatever more controversy, and remains one of the more polarizing songs to impact the hip-hop community.
iii. Paris — "Bush Killa" [1992]
Controversial Line: "So don't be telling me to get the non-violent spirit/'Cause when I'm violent is the merely time ya devils hear information technology/Rat-a-tat get the gat to his devil face/I hope he thinks of how he done united states of america when he lay to waste matter"
In 1992, Oakland rapper Paris' politically-charged single "Bush Killa" caused a large stir. The vocal, from his sophomore album Sleeping with the Enemy, placed a target on the back of President George H. Due west. Bush, and captured the attending of The White House and the Secret Service. With lyrics threatening bodily harm and worse to Bush, the song acquired 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 non releasing the anthology, which was initially intended to drop prior to the 1992 Presidential Election. Eventually released on his own indie label, Scarface Records, "Bush Killa" is one of the oft-disregarded instances of rap lyrics creating shockwaves across the culture and society as a whole.
iv. Sadat X on Brand Nubian's "Punks Jump Upwardly To Become Crush Down" [1993]
Controversial Line: "Though I tin freak, wing, flow, fuck up a f*gg0t/Don't sympathise their means, I ain't down with gays"
On their commencement release following the departure of lead rapper Grand Puba, Brand Nubian returned in a big way with their 1992 unmarried "Punks Leap Upwardly To Become Beat Down," which was a considerable hit, peaking at No. 77 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, lyrics from group member Sadat Ten that were homophobic bandage a lowlight over the song'due 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 vocal.
5. The Notorious B.I.G. — "Gimme The Boodle" [1994]
Controversial Line: "So I'm dippin' upwardly the block and I'm robbin' bitches, likewise/Up the herringbones and bamboos/I wouldn't give a fuck if you lot're pregnant/Requite me the baby rings and the #1 Mom pendant"
Having already landed himself in hot water with MCA Records due to his mention of R&B legend Patti LaBelle on the Ready to Die promo cut "Just Playing (Dreams)," The Notorious B.I.G. solidified his reputation as a verbal infidel with a few lyrics on the robbery anthem "Gimme the Boodle." Targeting unsuspecting pregnant 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 anthology.
6. 2Pac on 2Pac & One thousand-Ci & JoJo'due south "How Practise U Want Information technology" [1996]
Controversial Line: " C. Delores Tucker, yous'south a motherfucker/Instead of tryin' to help a nigga, you destroy a blood brother/Worse than the others; Pecker Clinton, Mister Bob Dole/You're too old to understand the way the game's told"
In the early '90s, political leader and civil rights activist C. Delores Tucker was one of the staunchest opponents of gangster rap, boycotting various 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, name-checking her on his 1996 hitting unmarried "How Practice U Want It." Referencing her attempts to destroy gangster rap, "How Do U Want It" infuriated Tucker, who filed a $10 meg lawsuit against Shakur's estate following his expiry, citing emotional distress and slander. The suit was ultimately dismissed. Nonetheless, the lyric continues to remain in infamy.
seven. DMX — "X Is Coming" [1998]
Controversial Line: "And if you got a daughter older than xv, I'mma rape her/Accept her on the living room floor, right there in front of you/Then ask yous seriously, what y'all wanna practice?"
On his 1998 debut It'due south Dark And Hell Is Hot, DMX presented a body of work filled with gruesome accounts of savage slayings and other trigger-happy acts, pushing the envelope of what was tolerable by mainstream audiences in the procedure. One song in particular, "X Is Coming," drew the ire of special interests groups and pundits due to its graphic nature, with the rapper rhyming virtually sexually assaulting a small in front end 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's returns on Soundscan; the anthology moved upwards of five 1000000 units and minting DMX equally rap'south newest antihero.
8. Eminem — "I'thousand Back" [2000]
Controversial Line: "I take seven [kids] from [Columbine], stand 'em all in line / Add together an AK-47, a revolver, a nine / A MAC-11 and it oughta solve the problem of mine / And that's a whole school of bullies shot upwardly all at one time"
After making waves with incendiary lyrics from his debut album, The Slim Shady LP, Eminem continued to get out critics in stupor with its predictable follow-upwards,The Marshall Mathers LP, in 2000. One particularly polarizing line from from the album can be found on "I'm Back," which captures Em slipping fully into character as his alter-ego Slim Shady. He makes reference to the tragic Columbine Loftier School shooting, which took identify in Colorado the twelvemonth prior. Em's timing couldn't accept been worse, as the backfire from his Rakim-inspired rhyme scheme caused his label to ultimately conscience the lyrics on subsequent album pressings.
ix. Juelz Santana on Dipset'south "IBelovedYou" [2002]
Controversial Line: "I worship the prophet/The great Mohammed Omar Atta/For his backbone behind the wheel of the plane/Reminds me when I was dealin' the 'caine."
Their patriotic look and attitude may have fabricated them darlings in the wake of 9/11,. However, amid the praise surrounding The Diplomats lied scrutiny of a small-scale cord of couplets included on their 2002 cut "I BelovedY'all." Released every bit part of theirDiplomats Volume 2 mixtape, the original version of "ILoveYou" finds group member JuelzSantana paying what many perceived equally homage to ix/11 hijacker Muhammad Atta, likening his fearlessness equally a hustler to the infamous terrorist'southward "courage behind the bicycle 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 courage of Atta, not his actions. Yet, when all was said and done, the version of "ILoveYou lot" that ultimately found its way on Diplomatic Immunity included reworked lyrics past Juelz, signaling a waving of the white flag past the cerise-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 delinquent slave / Master"
In the midst of her public feud with beau rapper Azealia Banks, Iggy Azalea's freestyle "D.R.U.G.S." was put under the microscope afterward Banks pointed out lyrics in which Azalea bandage herself as a "slave principal." Released in 2011, the questionable lyric wouldn't exist highlighted until the following yr, after which Azalea issued an apology, albeit, "In all fairness, it was a tacky and careless thing to say and if y'all are offended, I am pitiful." However, Azalea would deny whatsoever ill intent, pointing to a line from the Kendrick Lamar song "Wait Out for Detox" every bit the inspiration backside the line.
11. Lil Wayne on Futurity's "Karate Chop (Remix)" [2013]
Controversial Line: "'Bout to put rims on my skateboard wheels/ Shell the pussy up like Emmett Till"
Time to come appeared to accept one of the hottest remixes of the yr with "Karate Chop," which included a standout verse from Lil Wayne. Even so, the buzz surrounding the song was stifled due to bars comparison the power of Wayne'due south sexual prowess to the brutal expiry of Emmitt Till, drawing a considerable amount of ire from the Black customs and the Till family itself. Airickca Gordon-Taylor, the founding director of the Mamie Till Mobley Memorial Foundation, issued a argument deeming Wayne'south lyrics as "very disrespectful," causing Ballsy Records to pull the lyrics from the official remix and Mountain Dew to drop Weezy as a spokesperson for the visitor.
12. Rick Ross on Rocko & Future's "U.O.E.N.O" [2013]
Controversial Line: "Put Molly all in her champagne, she ain't fifty-fifty know it/I took her home and I enjoyed that, she own't fifty-fifty know it"
In 2013, Rick Ross created an uproar with his advent on Rocko's hit single "U.O.E.North.O." Yet, it wasn't for the excellence of his artistry, but the nature of his content. Bragging nigh appointment-raping an unsuspecting woman by slipping Molly in her beverage, Rozay's blessing rating took a large hit, with Reebok choosing to driblet the rapper every bit a brand administrator. Ross would later release an official apology for his "U.O.E.North.O." lyrics, writing "Nigh recently, my choice of words was non only offensive, information technology does non reflect my truthful heart."
13. J. Cole on Drake's "Jodeci Freestyle" [2013]
Controversial Line: "Fuck your listing you lame niggas and doubters/I'm undoubtedly the hottest and that's just me bein' minor/Become cheque the numbers dummy, that'south simply me gettin' started/I'thou artistic, you niggas is autistic, retarded"
Regarded every bit i of the more 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 go a pun off or on his recently released Fifty.A. Leakers freestyle when he flippantly dropped a Beak Cosby reference in his poesy. In 2013, he found himself in the eye of the storm that is public scrutiny for rhymes he spit on Drake'south loosie "Jodeci Freestyle." On the song, Cole pegged his rivals every bit "autistic" and "retarded." The lyrics didn't sit well with the The states clemency Autism Speaks, who spoke via a web log written by a parent of an autistic child, urging Cole and Drake to consider the impact 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 vocal, equally well as lyric-based websites featuring the song.
fourteen. Rich Homie Quan on Rich Gang's "I Made Information technology" [2014]
Controversial Line: "I don't want your ho, just desire that cookie from her/ She tried to resist and so I took it from her/ How are you gonna tell me no?/ You must not 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 "Type of Way" creator in the light of a predator. Those lyrics, spat on "I Fabricated It," Quan'southward 2015 collaboration with Immature Thug, would cause the former Rich Gang member to issue a statement saying that the song, "Was never intended to be released," adding that he would, 'Never condone rape." However, only a calendar month later, still some other vocal from the original batch of leaks containing pro-rape lyrics was brought to light, further damaging Rich Homie Quan's reputation.
15. Troy Ave — "Bad Ass" [2016]
Controversial Line: "STEEZ burning in Hell, my burner's in my belt / I'm really killing shit, you niggas killing yourself / Fucking weirdos, off the roof, 'Steer clear yo!'"
In hip-hop, all is fair in love and war nether normal circumstances. Still, 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 listing after "Bad Ass," his diss record aimed at fellow Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$, included shots at deceased Pro Era fellow member Capital letter STEEZ, with Ave poking fun at the rappers' death by suicide, which occurred in 2012. A number of media outlets, friends and peers of STEEZ — as well as Ave —spoke out, accusing him of taking the beef too far. Yet, in spite of the backlash, Troy Ave would stand by his words, and had still to result an amends to STEEZ's family or coiffure for his statements.
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Preezy Brownish is a New York City-based reporter and writer, filling the empty spaces within street and urban culture. A product of the Schoolhouse of Hard Knocks, Magna Cum Laude. The Crooklyn Dodger. Got Edgeless?
Source: https://www.okayplayer.com/music/controversial-rap-lyrics-in-hip-hop.html
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