Null:
I really liked Ice Cube’s albums AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990), Death
Certificate (1991), and The Predator
(1992). The Predator is a full on
American classic. You might not want to hear it, but you should. He was on a
role in the early 1990s. The records are some of the funkiest I have ever
heard, and Cube can spit out a rhyme with eloquence, anger, and humor. The
lyrics are often disturbing, violent, sexist, and at times racist in regard to
Koreans. They present a particular perspective. Before “gangster rap” became a
thing, the guys in N.W.A. called it “reality rap.” The social commentary on
Cube’s first solo albums is important and should be heard—warts and all.
I didn’t keep up with his later releases. I have never seen
any of his movies; people say they are funny. Nevertheless, when I happened
upon this new song/video by accident this summer, I was very impressed.
Apparently, Ice Cube still has it. Everything good about his
music is present in “Good Cop, Bad Cop” This is a song for the United States
2017, or any year, really. It makes me angry, as we all should be. It also
makes me want to do a funky dance, as we all should be doing. Somewhere in
between the lines, it also makes me smile. Well, of course mace “has a terrible
fucking taste.”
As for the visuals in the opening of the video, many people
feel as if they live in a police state: poverty, war, racism, and murder—all of
which is systemic and true blue.
By the end of the video, I no longer want to dance. Another
victim’s blood is mopped up off the floor, followed by a gavel proclaiming no
one is accountable.
Say what you want about Ice Cube, but the fact that he
recorded this song and put this video out makes him more relevant than most
artists these days, with a few exceptions. There are so many artists with so
little to declare in times like these—at least at his level of popularity,
wealth, and fame.
SoDak:
My knowledge of hip-hop music is limited to Public Enemy,
The Coup, Dead Prez, and a few other bands. In 1988, my friends and I would
listen to N.W.A.’s first record, Straight
Outta Compton, while playing basketball on the school playground. It
marked a dramatic improvement over the Kool Mo Dee and LL Cool J tapes that
were the staple for years. The opening notes and lines of the record demanded
attention. For obvious reasons, “Fuck tha Police” was our favorite song. The
sentiment resonated with punk rock and metal kids. But more than this, it was
the direct condemnation of police violence and the killing of black men that
was so important. The consequences of structuralism racism were put front and
center in a powerful way. This song continues to be relevant in so many ways.
At Riot Fest several years ago, Ice Cube performed “Fuck tha Police,” while a
video of police beatings played in the background. It was emotional and
powerful, forcing the audience to bear witness to one of the consequences of
systemic racism.
I am quite intrigued by Ice Cube’s “Good Cop, Bad Cop.” The
song is fuckin’ funky and soulful. Ice Cube does a great job with the delivery
of the lines, as he takes aim at corrupt, abusive, and violent cops. “Black
Lives Matter is not chit chatter, because all they [i.e., racist cops] want to
do is scatter brain matter. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. A nine is
terrible in your face. The mace has a terrible fucking taste. The pen is a
terrible fucking place.” Ice Cube has penned an important song for this
historical moment, where black men continue to be beat and shot by police and
where cops are exonerated. We need more frank songs such as this, and more
people in the streets organizing for revolution.
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