Fuck Tha Police Thesis

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“Fuck Tha Police” was a “courageous song” (Bittenbender, “Fuck Tha Police”: N.W.A’s Most Courageous Song is Still as Relevant as Ever”) represented young African Americans’ hatred towards the law enforcement system. Due to the message and explicit lyrics, this song stood out from any other song on the album, as well as sparking up some controversy. The song was released in 1988 by Niggaz Wit Attitudes (N.W.A) from their second album Straight Outta Compton under the Record Label, Priority Ruthless. The group N.W.A was initially formed in 1986 in Los Angeles, California with their genre being Rap. Their styles of Rap included: Golden Age, West Coast Rap, Hardcore Rap, and their most controversial, Gangsta Rap. N.W.A. consisted of the group members: …show more content…

Left to right: Ice Cube, MC Ren, Eazy-E, DJ Yella, Dr. Dre (Massappeal)
During the 70’s, there was a tremendous rise in gangs amongst Crips and Bloods along with the drug trade in Compton, Los Angeles (Tse, “How Compton Became the Violent City”). Around late 80’s in Los Angeles, it was a devastating time for colored folks. About 45% of African Americans males in South Central, Los Angeles was left unemployed (Moore, “N.W.A.’s Most Courageous Song”). Consequently, gang activity, violence, and the drug trade kept increasing. Later, in the year 1987, Operation Hammer was launched by the Los Angeles Chief of Police, Daryl Gates (See Figure 2). Operation Hammer was meant to decrease gang violence. Although the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) had great motives to execute the operation, LAPD used excessive force, and racist tactics to “solve” the issue. A week before the release of the album, 1,453 people were arrested in South Central, Los Angeles. On August 1, 1988, as part of Operation Hammer, eighty-eight police officers decided to deliver a strong message to gangs by raiding two apartment buildings in South Central, Los Angeles. While raiding peoples’ homes, Los Angeles police officers completely destroyed furniture, food, and clothing. They even went beyond by attacking, beating the residents, and humiliating them in front of everyone else. Additionally, police officers spray painted graffiti with the words “LAPD Rules.” During the period of Operation Hammer (1987-1990), …show more content…

“Huh, a young nigga on the warpath/ And when I’m finished, it’s gonna be a bloodbath.” Ice Cube is tired of the LAPD and wishes to have a war with them to kill all police officers, especially the ones who have killed his friends and family. “Fuck tha police! / Fuck tha police! / Fuck tha police! / Fuck tha police!” The hook in this song is where they vent out their frustration towards the LAPD. Their repetitive use of the word “fuck,” including in the title, symbolizes their hate towards the police. “They put out my picture with silence/ ‘Cause my identity by itself causes violence,” This is a very powerful line because black men in American are depicted as criminals or as a symbol of violence. “Without a gun and a badge what do you got? / A sucker in a uniform waiting to get shot” Police officers are like any other person in a neighborhood. They only feel powerful by carrying a badge and a gun as stated in the lyrics. If police officers did not have a gun, they would have been dead in the dangerous neighborhoods of Los Angeles. “Just sit your ass on the curb and shut the fuck up! /Man, fuck this shit! / A’ight, smartass, I’m taking your black ass to jail!” “This type of commentary is what police officers would tell colored

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