by El Machetero
Political music, at its absolute best, does more than just posture and appropriate militant imagery and rhetoric: it offers a revolutionary program and guides and directs the investment of energy born from a place of oppression and frustration.
The song “Made You Die,” feat. Yasiin Bey, dead prez and Mikeflo, more than comes correct in sticman’s opening flow, when he speaks of the need to do more than protest, but to embrace community self-defense for the safety of the children and youth targeted by police, vigilantes, and the prison industrial complex. These are aspirations are essential for all truly revolutionary processes, which are the complete opposite of the predatory individualistic “illegitimate capitalist” mentality propagated by crap mainstream hip-hop.
The need to be proactive as opposed to reactive is named, addressing an adverse condition too common our underdeveloped resistance movements. Nothing can be expected to change when we live asleep until the next atrocity pops off and lights the fire under our collective ass. We need to be on this, since defense of our children and youth and communities should guide and inspire all that we do.
M-1 reminds the listener that there are consequences which go far beyond the breeding of mistrust and ill feelings towards police and white supremacist society when they target our kids. They are putting themselves in serious peril when they continue with their ways, and this joint does very well in reminding them we ain’t going nowhere and our continued patience is dangerous.
From a strictly musical standpoint, this joint is a hot one in every sense. Mikeflo’s verse is just plain bananas, and Yasiin delivers with his laid back but assertive flow. The Salaam Remi-produced “Made You Look” riddim first made famous by legendary MC Nasir Jones serves as the sonic backdrop assault here, remaining to this day my personal favourite usage of the well known foundational break beat mined from the Incredible Bongo Rock Band’s “Apache.”
All in all, it’s good to hear some inspiring and intelligent revolutionary hip-hop again. But what would be best of all would be if our communities make our moves to heed the words of the first verse.
El Machetero‘s mixes can be heard on his Tumblr and the Music and Politics show.