This meant after civil rights, black people were allowed to join in the political landscape but the core system stayed the same and never gave the black people any political power. Nixon also introduced “”New Federalism” during his presidency which offered the states a means to preserve race-based hierarchies after civil rights by returning funding power to governors” (Hinton 135). Nixon emphasized to the American people that drugs were problem with the country and levied different prison sentence to different drugs (War on Drugs). Contrary to popular belief, The War on Drugs didn’t start with Ronald Reagan, but rather with Richard Nixon in the 1970s. Killer Mike begins to rap about The War on Drugs. Killer Mike artfully implies through his meaningful lyrics that all of these events are connected and Reagan’s policies destroyed the black community in more ways than is discussed in history books or is common knowledge. The song discusses many important historical and political events such as the war on drugs, the Iran-Contra scandal, and Reaganomics. “‘Reagan’ (Official Music Video).”, Pitchfork, 3 Oct. These problems include the glorification of violence in rap songs, the organized influx of cocaine, the War on Drugs, police brutality, the prison system, and more.Ĭlip from Official Music Video for “Reagan” by Killer Mike. He references the problems that the black community in America face both internally and externally. He exposes things that are forgotten or ignored because of their radical nature.
His goal is to show the connection between the state of the black community and the heavy decisions of those in power. In this song, he focuses on the Reagan administration. This song illustrates Killer Mike’s ability to recognize social injustices in America. This title suggests that Killer Mike is writing an album to stir up conversation and make an impact on the political atmosphere. The image above is from Killer Mike studio album R.A.P Music, which stands for Rebellious African People. His first hip hop influence was Schoolly D, Public Enemy, and N.W.A and earned his stage name for being “a killer” of mike’s (). His grandmother played an integral role in getting him involved in politics, educating him on American politics from a young age. He was influenced politically by his Grandma who raised him in Collier Heights-a neighborhood rich in political history. In addition to being the founder of Grind Time Official Records, he is both a social and political activist. Michael Render or Killer Mike is a famous and prolific rap artist. “Reagan” is a popular politically charged rap song by Killer Mike. Music.”, El-P,, /release/album/killer_mike/r_a_p_music/.
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