Back in 1992, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube were the two most popular hip-hop artists in the world.
The two rappers — who, after creating N.W.A. together, had become estranged at that point — both dropped classic multi-platinum albums that year.
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Dre released his masterful solo debut LP, The Chronic, while Cube dropped his third solo project, The Predator.
Placed on those two albums were two of the most important hip-hop records to be released that year: Dr. Dre’s “The Day the N*ggaz Took Over“ and Ice Cube’s “We Had to Tear This Mothaf*cka Up.”
Both records were dark, angry responses, justifying the L.A. riots that took place after the three policemen that savagely beat Rodney King were acquitted.
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The songs provided a voice for the poor, black youth who were angry about the case.
It was a monumental moment not only for the careers of the two rappers, but for hip-hop in general. We won’t stay quiet while something this wrong happens in our community.
We need that now.
Twenty one years after that injustice, we have on our hands a case that’s even more egregious.
This incident involves Trayvon Martin: a young black teenager visiting his father in a gated Florida community.
The teen wanted a snack, so he went to a local convenience store. On his way back he got into a confrontation with a trigger-happy pretend-police officer, who thought Trayvon was “suspicious.”
The altercation ended with Trayvon being shot and killed, with the pretend-cop claiming self-defense. It’s been almost a month since, and Trayvon’s murderer still hasn’t even been arrested.
Since first reading about the case, my emotions have been a mixture of sad and angry.
And, damnit, I want some sad and angry hip-hop music to be the soundtrack.
So is anyone from mainstream hip-hop going to step up?
I know underground rappers like Killer Mike, Talib Kweli and Immortal Technique will. But, with all due respect to them, I need someone with some real clout.
What made what Ice Cube and Dre did special (and years later what an MC like Tupac would do) was the fact that their words felt heavier off the strength of their popularity.
These were hip-hop’s loudest voices sticking up for our community; I love Lord Finesse, but “We Had to Tear This Muthaf*cka” wouldn’t have had the same impact if it was recorded by the Funky Technician.
At this time I’m going to need our mainstream rappers to be Muhammad Ali, not Michael Jordan.
That means the Drakes, Jay-Zs, Kanyes and Lil Waynes of the world — basically the real heavyweights of rap — need to step up.
Now, to be fair: Kanye, Wayne and Jay-Z all had something important to say when Katrina happened back in 2005.
Kanye had his infamous “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” moment, Wayne had his standout “Georgia Bush” freestyle and Jay dropped his heartfelt, but late, 2006 track “Minority Report.”
But hip-hop feels so different now that I can’t help but wonder if they’ll step up again. Hip-hop in 2012 is at its most commercial, cleanest and most mainstream — and the same goes for Jay, Kanye and Wayne.
Does hip-hop still have the balls to really speak or scream, actually – at injustice?
I hope so.
If not, you better believe I still have Cube in the tape deck.
