12 of the Best Political Voices in Hip-Hop
There's a potent strain of leftist politics woven into the history of rap and hip hop, and these artists have been pushing it harder than ever in recent years.
A scene from Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” music video.
With all the negative attention that Kanye West has been earning for himself in recent days...and months...and years, it's important to remember that he is a political outlier.
The vast majority of the time when rappers involve themselves in politics, they do not align themselves with figures like Donald Trump. There is a long tradition of hip hop artists using their platforms to call attention to important social movements and endorse liberatory left-wing politics.
These 12 artists are some of the most significant voices in hip hop and politics who have made serious efforts to spread important messages, and in some cases have done a lot more than that.
Chuck D
Political Lyrics: Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps / Sample a look back you look and find / Nothing but rednecks for 400 years if you check —"Fight the Power"
Public Enemy is maybe the most influential socially-conscious rap group in history, pushing criticism of imperialism, the police, and America's institutions of power since they got together in Long Island in 1985. But prior to 2015 founder Chuck D hadn't really gotten involved much with electoral politics.
That changed with the first presidential campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders, who earned Chuck D's approval in the debates leading up to 2016. And in 2020, when Sanders was once again running, Chuck D supported him with a live performance of Public Enemy Radio at Sanders' Los Angeles rally.
Now if Kanye would just follow these examples, and go back to developing his YZY shelters for the homeless and criticizing presidents for their racist mishandling of major disasters, and stop (literally) demonizing vaccines and Planned Parenthood—and especially stop running interference for the Trump campaign—he could easily earn a spot on this list.
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