The P-C police isn't welcome here. When politically charged rap pushed its way to the forefront of American consciousness in the 80s and revealed a very different reality of life for black urban America — with its gross racial injustices and contempt for corrupt authority — controversy came with it. At the helm was Schoolly D and Ice-T whose album, O.G. Original Gangster (1991), was one of the key factors in developing the genre of gangster rap. Another rapper leading the charge was Chuck D, the main force behind Public Enemy, who fused rap and black-power politics like none before or since, paving the way for later activists like Killer Mike and Kendrick Lamar, who became popular for his sharp observations of street culture and the psychology of the victims of crimes.
Kendrick Lamar makes a special appearance as a homeless man in “Power,” which stars and is also executive produced by 50 Cent. Last month Lamar was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ music branch for his work on the Black Panther soundtrack.
Killer Mike is an Atlanta-based rapper and social activist who made his debut collaborating with OutKast and is one half of the hip-hop duo Run the Jewels.
Immortal Technique is an incendiary rapper and activist who takes on issues like politics, religion, racism, and poverty in both his music and the causes he stands for.
