Dead Prez
Formed: 1996
Location: New York, New York, USA
Genre: Hip Hop, Political Hip Hop
Years Active: 1998 -
Meaning of the Name: It's a play on "dead presidents" which is slang for money, but in this case also refers to the groups militant, revolunationary image by evoking dead political leaders.
Core Members: stic.man, M1
Way of Working: Rap over a producers beats
Essential Releases
These Are the
Times EP (1998)
Early EP with deep social commentary.
Let's Get Free (2000)
A scathing call to arms calling for radical social change.
Revolutionary But
Gangsta (2004)
Blending revolutionary themes with street-level perspectives.
Dead Prez is the Black Panthers distilled into sound. Formed by the southern rappers M-1 and stic.man in mid-90s New York during the conscious hip hop boom, they mixed Afrocentricity with militant socialism to take the genre in a revolutionary direction.
They preach about the evils of capitalism and the consequences of poverty in African-American communities, while being respectful to women and looking after themselves both physically and spiritually. For example, on Be Healthy they encourage people to nourish their bodies: "Life brings life, it's valuable, so I eat what comes from the ground, it's natural", while other rappers promote a self-destructive lifestyle of drugs and crime.
Instead of chasing money to get out of the hood, M-1 and stic.man don't want there to be a hood. Instead of trying to beat the system at its own game, they're simply trying to beat the system. What made them distinct was that they occupied a unique niche between conscious and street.
While conscious rappers focused on the detrimental effects of poverty, dead prez combined such attitudes with the violent nature of the streets, calling for direct militant action motivated by historic black struggles that translate into the present day. I'm An African explains the approach: "I'm a runaway slave watching the North Star. Shackles on my forearm, running with the gun on my palm." The track poetically equates the experiences of modern African-Americans with those of slaves fleeing north to escape oppression. For them, being armed is a form of self-defence against a tyrannical America.
Where dead prez differs from garden-variety street music is that they rap about being poor instead of rich. Rappers often seek to position themselves as an aspirational figure above the listener, by virtue of having 'made it' via the accumulation of money, fame, and power whereas dead prez position themselves on the same level as the listener. "Many times had to sleep in my clothes on the flo'. What you know bout bein' po'?" (from W-4)
As is usual in political hip hop, the rappers talk about 'we' and 'us', as well as 'me' and 'I'. This can make the music feel less personal but also makes the listener feel part of a movement. The snare and bass drum of hip hop naturally creates a left-right, left-right motion that lends itself well to the marching rhythm of protest music.
The amount you enjoy dead prez largely depends on how much you agree with their politics. In a capitalist system, there will always be winners and losers. For every person living in a mansion there are a thousand who aren't. When you add to this the racial politics of slavery, segregation, and a violent police force, the system can feel like a corrupt place designed to keep poor people poor and rich people rich.
Those who already feel these injustices can rally around dead prez's music in a way that's energising. Listening to them is a call to arms. For those who don't, they're given an opportunity to see through the rappers eyes and understand why the poor see the police as a threat, and the powers that be as vultures enriching themselves on the hard work of others.
While dead prez rap about violence their motivation is political. They are "revolutionary but gangsta", to put it in their own words. Their music contains many positive messages. While in 1998 other rappers glorified drug dealing, dead prez released the song Drugs Oppress People Everyday which spells out dope. It's in Black communities where the devastating effects of drugs are felt most keenly, so black artists such as dead prez, who reached a sizeable black audience, did good by denouncing them and promoting healthy eating and self-discipline.
Skills
*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.Emotional Impact
95
Mental Impact
95
Originality
60
Artistry
85
Authenticity
65
Live
70
Production
75
Musicianship
60
Rapping
80
Songwriting
85
Danceability
70
Fun
30
Consistency
65
Range
60
Cool
60
Charisma
55
Commercial & Critical Success
Awards
Certifications
Charts
Critics
- About.com: Let's Get Free - Greatest Hip Hop Albums of All Time: #36
CRITICISM
- dead prez signed with Columbia Records while claiming to be anti-capitalism. While rallying against corporate America they generated revenue for those same corporations when they could have released music on an independent label.
