Fuck tha Police
Encyclopedia
"Fuck tha Police" is a protest song
by the gangsta rap
group N.W.A that appears on the album Straight Outta Compton
. Despite not being a single, it ranked #425 on Rolling Stone
's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Since its release in 1988, the "Fuck the Police" slogan continues to influence pop culture today in the form of t-shirts, artwork, and even transitions into other genres as seen in Rage Against the Machine
's version.
following the Rodney King
incident). The song also alleged that blacks in the police department were in way worse that the whites, with lyrics such as:
Especially controversial were the areas of the song that appear to condone violence towards police authorities; lines such as "I'm a sniper with a hell of a scope/Taking out a cop or two, they can't cope/with me" and "A sucka in a uniform waitin' to get shot/by me, or anotha nigga" directly reference the murder of police officers.
This song has proven popular enough to be covered by such acts as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
, as well as gaining popularity with rock bands, including Dope
, Soulfly
.
This song was included on N.W.A's Greatest Hits
.
In 1989, Australian radio station Triple J
had been playing "Fuck tha Police" for up to six months, before gaining the attention of Australian Broadcasting Corporation
management who subsequently banned it. As a reaction the staff went on strike and put N.W.A's "Express Yourself
" on continuous play for 24 hours, playing it roughly 360 times in a row.
In 1996, during massive opposition street protests in Belgrade
, Serbia, "Fuck tha Police", along with Public Enemy's "Fight the Power
" was continually played for 2 days on a Belgrade radio station B92
.
Kanye West
alludes to the song in his single All Falls Down
, "I say 'fuck the police', that's how I treat 'em". "Cop Killer
", a song by Ice-T
's metal band Body Count
, also contains the lyrics "fuck the police", as does "Still No Surrender" by Bone Thugs N Harmony.
Chris Rock
specifically refers to the song in his skit from The Chris Rock Show
How to not get your ass Kicked by the Police: "If you're listening to loud rap music ...turn that shit off! Blastin' "Fuck tha Police" while you're getting pulled over by the police is just ignant."
Rapper Lil Boosie
has his own version of this song with the same title.
In 2007, English comedian Adam Buxton
performed a 'cleaned up' version of the song, entitled 'Help the Police', as part of the BBC3 sketch show Rush Hour.
In 2009, The Subnoize Souljaz
, an American hip hop super group consisting of many current Artists under the Suburban Noize Records
record label, did a version with three members of the group Judge D, Saint Dog
, and Daddy X
.
On 10th April 2011, New Zealand dub musician Tiki Taane
was arrested on charges of "disorderly behaviour likely to cause violence to start or continue" after performing the song at a gig in a club in Tauranga
during an inspection of the club by the police. http://www.3news.co.nz/Tiki-Taane-arrested-after-chanting-F-the-police-at-gig/tabid/418/articleID/206422/Default.aspx http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10729352 On 13th April Tiki told Marcus Lush
on Radio Live
that the lyrics often feature in his performances and his arrest came as a complete surprise.
Protest song
A protest song is a song which is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of topical songs . It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre...
by the gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
group N.W.A that appears on the album Straight Outta Compton
Straight Outta Compton
The lyrics on the album were mainly written by Ice Cube and MC Ren. Critics of the album expressed their view that the record glamorized Black-on-Black crime, but the emcees stated that the group was simply showing the reality of living in the areas of Compton, California, and South Central Los...
. Despite not being a single, it ranked #425 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Since its release in 1988, the "Fuck the Police" slogan continues to influence pop culture today in the form of t-shirts, artwork, and even transitions into other genres as seen in Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
's version.
Impact
The song "Fuck tha Police", containing N.W.A's trademark inflammatory lyrics, stood out in particular from many of the songs on Straight Outta Compton. It highlights many of the tensions between black urban youth and the police. The song was prophetic in its reading the widespread resentment towards the LAPD that later boiled over in the 1992 Los Angeles riots1992 Los Angeles riots
The 1992 Los Angeles Riots or South Central Riots, also known as the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest were sparked on April 29, 1992, when a jury acquitted three white and one hispanic Los Angeles Police Department officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King following a...
following the Rodney King
Rodney King
Rodney Glen King is an American best known for his involvement in a police brutality case involving the Los Angeles Police Department on March 3, 1991...
incident). The song also alleged that blacks in the police department were in way worse that the whites, with lyrics such as:
Especially controversial were the areas of the song that appear to condone violence towards police authorities; lines such as "I'm a sniper with a hell of a scope/Taking out a cop or two, they can't cope/with me" and "A sucka in a uniform waitin' to get shot/by me, or anotha nigga" directly reference the murder of police officers.
This song has proven popular enough to be covered by such acts as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is an American Hip-Hop/R'n'B band from Cleveland, Ohio formed in 1991. It originally consisted of rappers Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Wish Bone. Rapper Eazy-E of the group N.W.A signed Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to Ruthless Records in 1994, when Bone...
, as well as gaining popularity with rock bands, including Dope
Dope (band)
Dope is an American rock band from Villa Park, Illinois, formed in 1997 in Chicago, Illinois.To date, the band has released five full-length studio albums, their most recent being No Regrets which was released on March 10, 2009.-History:...
, Soulfly
Soulfly
Soulfly is a heavy metal band formed in 1997 based in Phoenix, Arizona. The original lyrical content revolved around spirituality and religious themes, with later albums encompassing other themes including war, violence, aggression, hatred and anger. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max...
.
This song was included on N.W.A's Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (N.W.A)
N.W.A's Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album originally released on July 2, 1996. The re-released version contains two bonus tracks by the reunited group. The track "Chin Check" was recorded by Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren and Snoop Dogg under the N.W.A name for the soundtrack of Next Friday...
.
In 1989, Australian radio station Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
had been playing "Fuck tha Police" for up to six months, before gaining the attention of Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
management who subsequently banned it. As a reaction the staff went on strike and put N.W.A's "Express Yourself
Express Yourself (N.W.A song)
"Express Yourself" is a song recorded by American hip hop group N.W.A. The song, off their 1988 album Straight Outta Compton, samples Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band's song of the same name. Unlike most songs on the album and by N.W.A, the song is almost devoid of profanity and...
" on continuous play for 24 hours, playing it roughly 360 times in a row.
In 1996, during massive opposition street protests in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Serbia, "Fuck tha Police", along with Public Enemy's "Fight the Power
Fight the Power
"Fight the Power" is a single by American hip hop group Public Enemy. First released on the soundtrack for the film 1989 Do the Right Thing, a different version was released on the group's third studio album, Fear of a Black Planet . The single reached number one on Hot Rap Singles and number 20 on...
" was continually played for 2 days on a Belgrade radio station B92
B92
B92 is a radio and television broadcaster with national coverage headquartered in Belgrade, Serbia. The network's key demographic is chiefly urban and young audience. Its programs, including the news cover topics with fairly liberal political painted attitudes...
.
Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
alludes to the song in his single All Falls Down
All Falls Down
"All Falls Down" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West. It was released as the second single from his debut album, The College Dropout. The song was produced by West and features singer Syleena Johnson. It was released in February 2004 and entered the UK Singles Chart at number ten and...
, "I say 'fuck the police', that's how I treat 'em". "Cop Killer
Cop Killer (song)
"Cop Killer" is a song by American band Body Count, from its 1992 self-titled debut album. The lyrics are sung from the point of view of an individual who is outraged by police brutality and decides to take the law into his own hands by killing police officers...
", a song by Ice-T
ICE-T
* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...
's metal band Body Count
Body Count
Body Count is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1990. The group is fronted by rapper and actor Ice-T, who founded the group out of his interest in heavy metal music, taking on the role of vocalist and writing the lyrics for most of the group's songs. Lead guitarist...
, also contains the lyrics "fuck the police", as does "Still No Surrender" by Bone Thugs N Harmony.
Chris Rock
Chris Rock
Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...
specifically refers to the song in his skit from The Chris Rock Show
The Chris Rock Show
The Chris Rock Show is a late night comedy talk show featured on HBO. It was created by Chris Rock and featured various guests. The show won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program in 1999. It ran for three seasons from 1997 to 2000. Seasons 1 and 2 were released as a DVD set...
How to not get your ass Kicked by the Police: "If you're listening to loud rap music ...turn that shit off! Blastin' "Fuck tha Police" while you're getting pulled over by the police is just ignant."
Rapper Lil Boosie
Lil Boosie
Torrence Hatch , better known by his stage name Lil Boosie, is an American rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Hatch was bestowed the nickname Boosie by his family, and he was raised in southside Baton Rouge...
has his own version of this song with the same title.
In 2007, English comedian Adam Buxton
Adam Buxton
Adam Offord Buxton is an English comedian and actor. With Joe Cornish, he forms one half of the duo Adam and Joe. The pair presented Adam and Joe on BBC 6 Music, whilst Buxton also presents his own show on 6 Music on Sundays, called Adam Buxton's Big Mix Tape, currently on hiatus.-Major work:His...
performed a 'cleaned up' version of the song, entitled 'Help the Police', as part of the BBC3 sketch show Rush Hour.
In 2009, The Subnoize Souljaz
Subnoize Souljaz
Subnoize Souljaz is an American hip hop super group consisting of many current Artists under the Suburban Noize Records record label.*Brother J*Chucky Styles*Daddy X*The Dirtball*D-Loc*Jared Gomes*John E...
, an American hip hop super group consisting of many current Artists under the Suburban Noize Records
Suburban Noize Records
Suburban Noize Records, also known as "Subnoize", is an independent record label based in Burbank, California that specializes in punk rock and underground hip hop...
record label, did a version with three members of the group Judge D, Saint Dog
Saint Dog
Saint Dog, was an original member of the Kottonmouth Kings along with D-Loc and Brad Daddy X. He started his career as part of the hip hop group P.T.B. along with D-Loc and Johnny Richter. Daddy X had joined the group, and Johnny Richter had left for personal reasons. The three remaining members...
, and Daddy X
Daddy X
Brad Xavier,born around 1965,known by his stage name Daddy X, is a hip hop artist and record producer. He was previously in the punk/hardcore band Doggy Style, in which he was going by the stage name of Daddy X. He is currently the frontman for Kottonmouth Kings, Humble Gods, and X-Pistols...
.
On 10th April 2011, New Zealand dub musician Tiki Taane
Tiki Taane
Tiki Taane is a New Zealand musician and former member of leading New Zealand band Salmonella Dub. Taane left Salmonella Dub on 1 January 2007 to pursue a solo career...
was arrested on charges of "disorderly behaviour likely to cause violence to start or continue" after performing the song at a gig in a club in Tauranga
Tauranga
Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963...
during an inspection of the club by the police. http://www.3news.co.nz/Tiki-Taane-arrested-after-chanting-F-the-police-at-gig/tabid/418/articleID/206422/Default.aspx http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10729352 On 13th April Tiki told Marcus Lush
Marcus Lush
Marcus Lush is a television and radio presenter in New Zealand.He made his first forays into television in the 1990s as a reporter co-presenting TV2's Newsnight alongside Simon Dallow and Alison Mau, but it was a 2003 episode of travel show, Intrepid Journeys, that set him on a new broadcasting path...
on Radio Live
Radio Live
Radio Live and Radio Live Sport are nationwide Auckland-based New Zealand talkback, news and sports radio networks owned and operated by MediaWorks New Zealand...
that the lyrics often feature in his performances and his arrest came as a complete surprise.