The 10 Best Political Rap Songs Of The Past 10 Years
By: Drew Landry
Tags: Hip Hop, Trump, Racism, Politics, Rap

Hip-hop has plenty of purposes, all of them equally important. Sometimes it’s the perfect soundtrack to chug Jack Daniels and make mistakes to. Sometimes it’s a perfect emotional outlet for times of psychological turmoil (breakups, mourning the death of a loved one, the 2011 Green Lantern movie.) But rap is also a perfect platform for political messages.

From the days of Public Enemy and NWA, to Immortal Technique’s neckbeard redditor conspiracy theories, to Eminem directing his rage against Bush and Trump (an anger that’s usually reserved for his mother, his wife, and Triumph The Insult Comic Dog for some reason.) Rhythmic, sociopolitical soapbox speeches fill multiple chapters in the hip-hop history book.

Here are the 10 greatest political rap songs of the past 10 years. If you disagree, email your concerns to idontfuckincare@gofuckyourself.gov

10. Childish Gambino- This Is America

“This Is America” was ruined by all the #Woke hipsters who posted a link to the music video on Facebook saying “THIS IS IMPORTANT” and all the suburban white girls who tweeted it like “EVERYONE needs to see this, especially wh*te people.” Bearded dudes in improv classes all around America recommened it to everyone they knew. But before the song became synonymous with virtue signaling it was a jaw-dropping cultural moment.

9. Joey Bada$$- LAND OF THE FREE

“LAND OF THE FREE” is a tourism bus that drives through the ugliest corners of American history. Joey’s album ALL AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ is filled with bombastic intensity married to political undertones, but “LAND OF THE FREE” is the glass guarded centerpiece of the musical museum. The bridge proclaims “we can’t change the world unless we change ourselves.” But how? Admittedly, I’m sure this pretentious hip-hop article written by a dorky white guy ain’t fuckin helpin.

8. Run The Jewels- Close Your Eyes (And Count To Fuck)

Yes, Run The Jewels has a painfully hipster-ish fanbase of dudes who barely to listen to any other rap and have encyclopedic knowledge of how to brew your own IPA’s in your Brooklyn apartment that smells like kale flavored CBD oil…but don’t hold that against them. RTJ is still one of the most ferocious hip-hop duo’s to ever share a mic and this track is a perfect portrait of how masterful they are. An aggressive song about America’s nonstop onslaught of repugnant police brutality, it packs a hell of a punch.

7. Kendrick Lamar- The Blacker The Berry

During such a sensitive time, and a cultural moment where 53% of hiphopheads are insufferable suburban white children (aka me), Kendrick pulled a power move with a single that was unapologetically pro-black. The image of an ocean of caucasional nerds who look just like me chanting the hook at Kendrick concerts makes me cackle like Seth Rogen on a bucket of bath salts.

6. Lupe Fiasco ft. Skylar Grey- Words I Never Said

“Words I Never Said” doesn’t have a specific target, it’s a messy scattershot where Lupe slices his brain open and let’s his frustrations sloppily spill onto the floor. He aims a lyrical bazooka at everything that’s pissing him off just to see where the limbs land. He rants against the war on terror, islamophobia, and he even drops an admittedly cringy line about being a 9/11 truther, briefly sounding like your annoying college roommate. The sinister Alex Da Kid beat and explosive hook from Skylar Grey are both a perfect fit for Lupe’s calmly chaotic delivery.

5. Ice Cube- Arrest The President

Has political corruption ever been so catchy? And more importantly, has there ever been a cornier line than “has political corruption ever been so catchy?” I just punched myself in the dick for typing that. But this battle cry against Trumpism is still one of my favorite songs from 2018. The bombastic beat curb stomps your cerebellum and the catchy hook is radio-ready. The lovable dad from Are We There Yet? had to remind us that he’s still an immortal hip-hop legend for a reason.

4. Eminem- Darkness

The brilliance of “Darkness” is the twist, it’s like an M. Night Shyamalan movie except it doesn’t suck. For the first few minutes, it seems like a depressing diary entry about Eminem’s own history of depression and addiction. All the double entendres about “shots” and “rounds” are the eerie foreshadowing of the reveal that it’s actually from the perspective of the Las Vegas shooter (who pulled it off because “law says sky’s the limit”) He ends the last verse with the disturbingly accurate “by the time it’s over, won’t make the slightest difference.” He was right. Nothing has changed.

3. Kanye West- New Slaves

We’ll never understand how Kanye morphed into a MAGA-hat wearing, blind follower of Donald The Demented Pumpkin, but “New Slaves” reminds us just how jarring of a shift that was. “New Slaves” is Kanye standing outside America’s window with a megaphone, confronting it about the instituionalized racism that still runs through it’s veins. It’s Kanye at his most honest and powerful, back before he was BFF’s with President Donald “deflated basketball with syphilis” Trump.

2. Kendrick Lamar- Alright

Yes, Kendrick again. In another universe, most of this list would be tracks from To Pimp A Butterfly, but I didn’t want the album to uncomfortably smother the entire article like an obsessive boyfriend. “Alright” is about how tempting it is to give into despair, and finding the will to refuse to do so.

1. YG ft. Nipsey Hussle- FDT

What the heck did you expect? The brilliance of “FDT” comes from how catchy and anthemic it is, and how it balances a “wait, what the fuck?!?!?!” perplexion with the infectiousness of a radio banger. YG and Nipsey never pretend to be political scientists who know how we got here, they let us know that they’re just as confused as we are. Nipsey begins verse #2 with the bar “..I thought all that Donald Trump bullshit was a joke..” Motherfucker.. we all did.