NWA - A history of racism and violence

 The speakers

NWA is a rap band. They performed many songs in a gangsta rap style. The band was composed of five famous rappers such as Ice Cube, Dr Dre, Dj Yella, MC Ren and the leader Eazy-E, affectionately called "The Godfather of Gangsta Rap”. All of them were from Compton (California) and operated from 1986 to 1992 when the band broke up because of Eazy-E’s death due AIDS. “Fuck The Police” is a very famous song from the album “Straight Outta Compton”, the only album released by the band. Composed in 1988 it talks about the racist behavior the cops had (and still have) towards black people, the testimonies in rhyme express anger against racism and violence by cops . Because of this song NWA were watched by the police and in Detroit when they performed “Fuck The Police” during a gig the cops stopped the concert and arrested NWA. We have chosen this song because it says in a loud voice what most people think about the police but are afraid to report because of the violence and the repression they could be affected by.

Excerpts from Lyrics - "Fuck The Police"

[Ice Cube]

Fuck the police coming straight from the underground

A young nigga got it bad cause I'm brown

And not the other color so police think

they have the authority to kill a minority

Fuck that shit, cause I ain't the one

for a punk motherfucker with a badge and a gun

to be beating on, and thrown in jail

We can go toe to toe in the middle of a cell

Fucking with me cause I'm a teenager

with a little bit of gold and a pager

Searching my car, looking for the product

Thinking every nigga is selling narcotics

You'd rather see, me in the pen

than me and Lorenzo rolling in a Benz-o

Beat a police out of shape

and when I'm finished, bring the yellow tape

To tape off the scene of the slaughter

Still getting swoll off bread and water

I don't know if they fags or what

Search a nigga down, and grabbing his nuts

And on the other hand, without a gun they can't get none

But don't let it be a black and a white one

Cause they'll slam ya down to the street top

Black police showing out for the white cop

Ice Cube will swarm

on ANY motherfucker in a blue uniform

Just cause I'm from, the CPT

Punk police are afraid of me!

HUH, a young nigga on the warpath

And when I'm finished, it's gonna be a bloodbath

of cops, dying in L.A.

Yo Dre, I got something to say

[cut and scratched 4x] "Fuck the police"

[Dr. Dre]

MC Ren, will you please give your testimony

to the jury about this fucked up incident?

[MC Ren]

Fuck the police and Ren said it with authority

because the niggas on the street is a majority

A gang, is with whoever I'm stepping

and the motherfucking weapon is kept in

a stash box, for the so-called law

Wishing Ren was a nigga that they never saw

Lights start flashing behind me

But they're scared of a nigga so they mace me to blind me

But that shit don't work, I just laugh

because it gives em a hint, not to step in my path

For police, I'm saying, "Fuck you punk!"

Reading my rights and shit, it's all junk

Pulling out a silly club, so you stand

with a fake-assed badge and a gun in your hand

But take off the gun so you can see what's up

And we'll go at it punk, and I'ma fuck you up!

Make you think I'ma kick your ass

but drop your gat, and Ren's gonna blast

I'm sneaky as fuck when it comes to crime

But I'ma smoke 'em now and not next time

Smoke any motherfucker that sweats me

or any asshole, that threatens me

I'm a sniper with a hell of a scope

Taking out a cop or two, they can't cope with me

The motherfucking villain that's mad

With potential, to get bad as fuck

So I'ma turn it around

Put in my clip, yo, and this is the sound

[BOOM, BOOM] Yeah, something like that

but it all depends on the size of the gat

Taking out a police, would make my day

But a nigga like Ren don't give a fuck to say

[cut and scratched 4x] "Fuck the police"

[Dr. Dre]

Eazy-E, won't you step up to the stand

and tell the jury how you feel about this bullshit?

[Eazy-E]

I'm tired of the motherfucking jacking

Sweating my gang, while I'm chilling in the shack, and

shining the light in my face, and for what?

Maybe it's because I kick so much butt

I kick ass - or maybe cause I blast

on a stupid-assed nigga when I'm playing with the trigger

of any Uzi or an AK

Cause the police always got something stupid to say

They put out my picture with silence

Cause my identity by itself causes violence

The E with the criminal behavior

Yeah, I'm a gangsta, but still I got flavor

Without a gun and a badge, what do ya got?

A sucker in a uniform waiting to get shot

by me, or another nigga

And with a gat it don't matter if he's smaller or bigger

([MC Ren:] Size ain't shit, he's from the old school fool)

And as you all know, E's here to rule

Whenever I'm rolling, keep looking in the mirror

And ears on cue, yo, so I can hear a

dumb motherfucker with a gun

And if I'm rolling off the 8, he'll be the one

that I take out, and then get away

While I'm driving off laughing this is what I'll say

[cut and scratched 4x] "Fuck the police"

 

Fuck the police! [3x]

Glossary
To watch: to keep someone or something under close observation
Cruelty: behavior or action that causes pain to others
Warpath: the path or course taken by American Indians on a warlike expedition
Slaughter: a brutal or violent killing (murder)
Gang: a group of persons associated for some criminal purpose (terrorist gangs)
Sneaky: a person who should not be trusted
Gun: a weapon consisting of a metal tube from which bullets are shot by the force of an explosive
Dumb: lacking intelligence or good judgment; stupid
Hint: an indirect, partly hidden, or helpful suggestion
Cop: a police officer