GutterPutter

In the year of 2000, Lets Get Free was released. It’s a debut record of the hip hop duo called Dead Prez and it’s regarded as an instant classic nowadays for its themes. Compared to its contemporaries like Jay-Z with the bling focus or Common whose works are introspective and targeted at Black lives, the album does not shy away from its anarcho-socialism. In ‘Police State’, Clayton ‘Stic.Man’ Gavin and Lavonne ‘M-1’ Alford are critical of totalitarianism and the outreach of governmental law enforcement. ‘They School’ condemns the institutional racism of favouring European perspectives and its incentivisation for building wealth over providing knowledge to its students. The signature track, and the one that gives this article its name, ‘Hip Hop’ eschews consumerist rap in favour of using the genre as a medium to incite the drive for revolution.

For this piece, I would simply want to write about the evolution of rap broadly since the release of this album and its importance to the concerns regarding the future of entertainment. As of now, many jobs like writing, graphics design, music, even filmmaking or animation, are being prioritised for artificial intelligence which means that artistic intent and deliberate stylistic choices are sidelined for cookie-cutter templates. As fun as it is for diss tracks to exist against those who besmirch the culture around rapping, there is a prevalent sense of disappointment in many fans over the artists’ silence in situations like Palestine. There is even a controversy surrounding pop upcomer David ‘d4vd’ Burke regarding his involvement with the case surrounding one of his fans Celeste Hernandez and his relationship with her. I won’t divulge any more details as a start, but it’s a damning indictment on the nature of fandoms.

It feels like aside from a handful of names like McKinley Dixon, Clipping., or Little Simz, few rappers sought to push their music in a perspective that goes beyond broad sweeping commentaries. You might get a timeless record from a name like Clipse, yet it wouldn’t bother condemning the trajectory of the way the world is heading with a particular point. They would rather focus on spitting bars about cocaine dealing which is completely fine for them. It wouldn’t however drive or get many to seriously consider their circumstances and the sociopolitical realities at the moment. In other words, if art is political, then this would amount to being passive consumption.

The United States is currently experiencing a clear fascist takeover. The United Kingdom is seeing its Overton Window shift towards the far right as political parties like Reform UK are getting a platform with a clear chance at winning the next general election. France and other European countries are so driven by anti-immigration sentiments that they would willingly vote to erode LGBTQ+ rights along with women’s rights and workers’ rights if it helps to “rebuild” the country. There is a clear sense of denial in North America, Europe, and the Oceanic countries over the precarity of civil rights being torn apart in favour of ethno-tribalistic mentality especially from the “Great Replacement” bollocks.

It feels like now is the ample time for the underground scene or independent music to embrace being anti-establishment. The 1% will continue to suck up much of the money as the likes of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are angling towards becoming the first ever trillionaires. They’re on track to being richer than three or more countries put together. Punk rock could make a comeback, experimental music can go towards the extreme, mainstream statements on politics are becoming accepted. Civility can go out the window. The question is – is there a kind of future that they are aiming towards? What is it about the issues that make them abhorrent to what we deem right? Dead Prez’s conviction is what allows Lets Get Free to acquire a cult following and it’s one that is inspired to aspire for changes.