The protest anthem The Game wrote about an American tragedy
In 2014, The Game released an epic and heartfelt song about a tragedy that received worldwide news coverage due to its horrific and shameful reflection on America. The former G-Unit emcee thought it so important that he released and promoted it as a standalone single so as not to overshadow or downplay its significance.
Although murder is not unfamiliar to many rappers, police violence and brutality can sometimes cross a line, and in the US, it is not uncommon to see young African Americans killed by law enforcement. As such, when they do, MCs use their platforms to speak up and denounce the establishment.
Hip-hop has always been used to challenge institutions like the police and the government. However, over the years, as more artists find themselves involved in trials concerning murder, some cultural commentators ask whether or not rappers are perpetuating the crime and violence that leads to potentially fatal interactions with police officers.
That said, it is still a stain upon the police when they are found to have murdered someone, and in 2014, 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot in his hometown of Ferguson, Missouri. Brown was walking down the street with his friend when a suspecting police officer ordered the pair to move off the street and onto the pavement.
Following this, a brief altercation broke out, and the officer, Darren Wilson, fired six shots into Brown’s torso, causing him to die. These gunshots reverberated around the world, and there was worldwide news coverage of the incident accompanied by a grave amount of backlash and criticism of the town’s police department.
Following the event, as tensions rose, there was a series of stand-offs between activists and law enforcement, leading to uprisings and even riots. As such, The Game wrote a song addressing the situation.
The track, entitled ‘Don’t Shoot’, saw The Game joined by He was joined by Diddy, Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Diddy, Fabolous, Wale, DJ Khaled, Swizz Beatz, Yo Gotti, Curren$y, Problem and King Pharaoh.
On the track, he raps lines such as, “Seen the pictures, feel the pain, scandalous how they murder son / Tired of them killing us, I’m on my way to Ferguson,” and “They left that boy for hours in the cold out there / They killin’ teens, they killin’ dreams” it directly addressed what the emcee described as a calculated, stone-cold killing.
Speaking about how the murder of Michael Brown affected him, The Game told Rolling Stone, “The issues in Ferguson really hit home for me, and I feel compelled to use my musical platform to address this.”
He continued, “I am a black man with kids of my own that I love more than anything, and I cannot fathom a horrific tragedy like Michael Brown’s happening to them. This possibility has shaken me to my core. That is why this song must be made and why it was so easy for so many of my friends to come together and unite against the injustice.”
In 2020, following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Brooklyn lyricist Papoose released his song ‘Tribute’ on which he alphabetically listed all of the most famous cases of police murder to dramatic effect.