![]() In commentary on the lyrics on Genius, Manuel described the song as a “musical counterweight” to the “xenophobia and vilification of immigrants” that emerged following the 2016 election. In a 2017 interview with Variety, Lamar said of the song: “You might not have heard it on the radio all day, but you’re seeing it in the streets, you’re seeing it on the news, and you’re seeing it in communities, and people felt it.” "Immigrants (We Get The Job Done)" - The Hamilton MixtapeĪlmost every night on the Broadway stage, one line is spoken that receives a full-crowd applause and a standing ovation: “Immigrants / We get the job done!” This line inspired a song that ended up on The Hamilton Mixtape, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop concept album that featured various artists and their re-conceptions of the songs and lyrics from his hit musical. Kendrick Lamar has spoken on the impact and breadth of the Grammy-winning single, which has become the unofficial anthem of the Black Lives Matter Movement. ![]() In 2015, the words “we gon’ be alright” could be heard shouted at anti-police brutality protests around the country. Then the real revolution began.” "Alright" - Kendrick Lamar And it made the entire hip-hop community recognize its power. Twenty-five years after the song came out, Hank Shocklee, one of the producers of the record told Rolling Stone, “ created such an energy surge throughout the community that it became the template for every artist, every filmmaker, every rapper, singer, and it also sparked community leaders and teachers to understand the power of hip hop. In the fall of 1989, when black students in Virginia rioted against hostile police officers, the crowd chanted “fight the power” as a rallying cry. Spike Lee approached Public Enemy to create a song for his film Do The Right Thing, giving rise to this enduring protest anthem. frontman Ice Cube told Buzzfeed News in 2015, “so the audience can know why we wrote ‘F*ck tha Police,’ and they can feel the same way.” This song became a voice for the voiceless, exuding feelings of helplessness, anger, and fear in the lyrics: “F*ck the police / Coming straight from the underground / A young n***a got it bad 'cause I'm brown / And not the other color so police think / They have the authority to kill a minority” “Fight The Power” - Public Enemy (1989) “We wanted to highlight the excessive force and the humiliation that we go through in these situations,” N.W.A. The group was banned from performing it and even the FBI felt compelled to issue a response, claiming that it incited violence. and featured on their second album#, this song may be one of the most controversial songs ever recorded. Originally released in 1988 in a biopic of N.W.A. On TikTok, many videos have cropped up with this tune as the blaring soundtrack. ![]() In 2020, with the rise of mass protests sparked following the police killing of George Floyd, “This Is America” has become an unofficial anthem among youth activists. As Glover dances to the melody, the screen fills with images of police brutality and mass murders, signifying how society just sits by as atrocities happen. In 2018, actor Donald Glover, known by his musical moniker Childish Gambino, released this song accompanied by a powerful music video depicting the anti-black racism that occurs every day in the United States. The song has been recreated, sampled, and re-recorded several times over the last century by artists such as Nina Simone and Kanye West, providing haunting reminders of the rampant racism that still thrives in the United States. Some argue that this is the most influential protest song of the 20th century, praising its ability to bring listeners back to the horror, rage, and sorrow of Jim Crow- era America. "Strange Fruit" - Billie Holidayīillie Holiday first recorded “Strange Fruit” in 1939, adapting the words of a poem called “Bitter Fruit” written by high school teacher Abel Meeropol and published in 1937, after he saw a photograph of a lynching. Here are 13 evergreen protest songs from throughout the years that demonstrate the intimate links between politics and music. Throughout the years, as protests have erupted across the United States - and the world - artists have gathered inspiration from movements, and activists have in turn chanted the lyrics to these songs of the streets. ![]() Sometimes, they come in the form of calls to action other times they’re quiet laments of human suffering and pain. Protest music has existed for centuries, through the ages of slavery, world wars, and civil rights, fueling movements risen from racist violence, gender inequality, and opposition to the Trump administration.
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