Criminal Music? Top 8 Gangsta Rap Tracks to Keep to Yourself (Unless you like stick time)
June 9th, 2008 by AndrewKRS-One’s legendary Criminal Minded came out over twenty years ago, as just about the first real gangsta rap album. Now all you new jacks have been talking about how gangsta your music is, but the fact is, there are some songs that will just get your ass beat down by the police – if they hear it. Veritable magnets for a Billy club to the head, if you will.
Basically playing these songs with some volume out your car is the equivalent of waving a red flag at a bull. Only the flag has a picture of you smacking his wife while doing stuff to his mother and the bull has a gun and can call for up to fifteen more bulls to help put some pain in you. This is discretionary music. I know how people like to talk big and sometimes you need some swagger to survive in the game, but be smart about what you’re listening to around cops. While they may choose to spare you stick time, there are some chances that just aren’t worth taking.
Here is a quick list of songs to avoid when police are around, tapestries of inflammatory verbiage:
1. KRS One - Sound of Da Police
Probably the best song about police brutality released in 1994 and maybe for a few more years after that. Hip Hop started in New York and this Bronx native made not only the first ever gangsta rap album but the best police diss song. Go ahead and question it.
Highlights:
“Cops carry a little gun, that’s why I walk around with a bigger one”
“officer from overseer, you need a little clarity, check the similarity”
2. NWA – Fuck Tha Police
Not quite as good as Straight Outta Compton but it will cause some shit when over heard by the bulls. Song is an absolute classic in gangsta rap, reaching iconic status. There is a Public Enemy version of this that is awesome too. Playing this song loud is similar to walking up to a cop and saying, “pardon me officer, I just plowed your wife.”
Some highlights include:
Fuck da Police coming straight out da under ground. (opening line)
A young n____ on a warpath and when I’m finished, it’s gonna be a bloodbath
Without a gun and a badge, what do ya got? A sucka in a uniform waitin to get shot
3. Eazy-E – Boyz n the Hood
Eazy-E was probably the only member of NWA who probably actually killed someone. He was bad ass and later on had an all Israeli ex-military entourage to protect him. This was before Eaze and Dre hated each other.
Best Part:
I’m rollin hard now I’m under control
Then wrapped the six-fo’ round the telephone poll
I looked at my car and I said, “Oh brother
I throw it in the gutter and go buy another”
Walkin home and I see the G ride
Now Ket is drivin Kilo on the side
As they busted a U, they got pulled over
An undercover cop in a dark green Nova
Ket got beaten for resistin arrest
He socked the pig in the head for rippin his Guess
Now G is cut for doin the crime
For defence on the boy, he’ll do some time
4. Ice T – Cop Killa
Ice T now only plays cops on TV. That’s awesome right? Well when you consider that Ice T released the first real anthem about hating on cops its incredible funny. Cop Killa basically called out the LAPD for being racist, exploitative bastards. You could definitely hear this song being blasted when Los Angeles exploded in 1994 over Rodney King. I guess that’s why Ice T sticks to playing New York cops instead of LAPD.
5. The Game – 911 Is a Joke
“I ought to shoot fifty one officers for the fifty one times that boy was shot in New York” –The Game.
Enough Said.
6. Geto Boys – Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta
I was stuck between Minds Playing Tricks on Me and this song. I decided to go with the more laid back song. When the cop is beating the crap out of you, at least it’s mellow. The best part is when they have a bad impersonation of Bill Clinton rapping about letting large drug shipments into the country to be sent to poor communities, or that if anyone disagrees with him he will send a million troops to die at war.
7. Dead Prez – Police State
Communism - America hates it! Better dead than red! I like songs that opening lyrics are “I throw Molotov cocktails at the precinct.” Dead Prez is one of the last redeeming aspects of Rap music. When there are so many songs about just having fun in the club it is great to see a song that says things are not alright. The world is not peaceful and just, that it’s not “all good”. Of course this kind of thinking is a sure fire way of getting your ass beat.
8. Nas – Halftime – Illmatic
Nas’ Illmatic is probably the best rap album to ever come out of the east coast. This song isn’t going to straight out piss off cops until the very end when Nas declares that he’s gonna put hits out on five o. It mostly makes the list for being a great song. Nas has an arrest record from when he got busted for carrying a concealed weapon when he was 17. I’m guessing he has no real love for the police. Nasty Nas in your area, about to cause mass hysteria.
June 10th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Great list — enjoyed it!
I’d add “Mother Fuck The Cops” by the Dayton Family and “Police” by Lil Scrappy to make it a Top 10 list.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:59 am
I agree with alapoet, welll written and thanks for the post
June 10th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Good post, but “Boyz n the Hood” was written by Ice Cube and performed by Eazy E (under NWA). If anything, it should be listed as NWA, not just Eazy… and Body Count (fronted by Ice T) did “Cop Killa”.
Sorry to be anal, but let’s give everyone involved with these great songs credit, not just the frontmen
June 10th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
You Forgot J Dilla Fuck The Police
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B0Oens2HUo
June 10th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
these are really good, it’s hard to nail down a top 8, but you did good on this one.
June 10th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
this list is just one more example of a diseased culture that is eating itself alive …. i understand that rap started out as ab artistic reaction to the realities of urban life but that was a long ass time ago … hip hop culture is now a parody of itself ..there is no art .. just a bunch of stereotypical idiots rapping about guns , ho`s , escelades , and bein at da club …. fucking pathetic
June 10th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Nice list! Enjoyed reading it (and remembering the songs)…
June 10th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
What? No Lil Wayne? I thought Surely he’d make the cut. Wow.
JT
http://www.FireMe.To/udi
June 10th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
How could you not have “Fuck Tha Police” by Bone Thugs? Good songs, though.
June 10th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE puts all of these little girl rappers to shame if you wanna talk about someone who could get put away for what they rap about
June 10th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Okay…
KRS-One is a gangsta rapper now? Someone needs to do research before writing up these kinds of lists because of all emcees in the world of hip-hop, KRS is the LEAST gangster.
June 10th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
These guys ain’t nothing but a bunch of murdering thugs who only kill each other. Whats my source? Check the list. I know I missed a bunch so add the missing ones in another comment
Tupac, Notorious, Big L, Scot La Rock, King Tubby, Michael Menson (lit on fire of all things), MC Rock, Brandon Mitchell, Michael Robinson, Charizma, Mr. Cee, Hitman, Yafeu Fula, Seagram Miller, JoJo White, Dion Stewart (albeit he brought that shit on himself), Fat Pat, Papo, Malcolm Howard, MC Ant, Karnail Pitts (bugz), Q-Don, Johnny Burns, Bruce Mayfield, Erik Carson, Lloyd “Mooseman” Roberts, Tonnie Sheppard, Jam Master Jay, Double D, Freako, Holy Quran, Dr. Dre, Anthony Watkins (because he was suspected of killing Dre), Deshaun Holton, Big Hawk and his brother before him Fat Pat, Stack Bundles, B-Brazy and G Spider
June 10th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Uh, what? Dr. Dre isn’t dead.
June 10th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Besides Tupac and biggie, it has less to do with the Rap Industry itself, and more to do with the background of these people.
June 10th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
I can’t say I’ve actually listened to all of those, but the list seems about right. However, I would suggest you add The Coup’s “pork and beef”. A lot of his other work is also very topical. A line from the above:
“if you got beef with C-O-P, throw a molotov at the P-I-G”
In general his work is about fighting the power.
June 10th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
You forgot 1 in the chamba by RSO!
June 10th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
And Pigs by Cypress Hill!
June 10th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
hey sweetfly, 50 cent is NOT an embodiment of hip hop. this “parody of itself” you speak of is what you pick up on mtv, so go ahead and broaden your horizons–it’s still deep
June 10th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
First of all, half these songs suck. Second most aren’t even about cops! What about Public Enemy “911 is a joke” and Cypress Hill “Pigs”. Also to the dumb ass who said KRS isn’t gangsta, you must not have been a fan when he made “Listen to my 9 millimeter go bang!” Also honorable mention to KRS for “Black Cop” as well. Peace….you suckas!
June 10th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Criminals on the Mic? Top 8 Cop Hatin’ Rap Tracks…
KRS-One’s legendary Criminal Minded came out over twenty years ago, as just about the first real gangsta rap album.
by Andrew at criminalswanted.org…
June 10th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Also, Brand Nubians, “Black and Blue”
June 10th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
One more: 50 Cent - Man Down
June 10th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
I am sort of surprised that KRS’s song is the first one up. Maybe I am not. It is extremely recognizable, right? I have always thought of Cop Killer as the most notorious of all of the songs. Who knows. With all of these, it could easily be a toss-up.
June 10th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
I don’t know about ‘Halftime’ being on this list while you’ve omitted songs like Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog’s “Deep Cover,” Cypress Hill’s “Pigs,” and Ill Bill’s “How to Kill A Cop.”
Plus minus points for considering Body Count ‘rap music.’
June 10th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Different person has different style.My black friends on the page,___ b l a c k c e n t u r y. c o m____ > , also have their own style.And they live a happy life .We can’t comment anyone because we are different.
June 10th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
You forgot Dead Prez - I have a dream too
lyrical highlight:
Now take a left at the light, turn off the headlights and ride real slow
Now holla at me when you see the 5-0
Alrite dirty, yall boys ready?
Bout to turn drive-bys revolutionary
*pow pow pow pow pow* yeah muthafucka yeah!
*pow pow pow pow pow* yeah muthafucka yeah!
Look at ‘em run, too scared to pull they guns
Outta shape from them coffees and them cinnamon buns
This shit is fun, how i feel when the tables is turned
June 10th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Cop Killer was read aloud on the senate floor.
June 10th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
street military - dead in a year
anything from too $hort or spice1
June 10th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Those p0po just have self esteem issues if you ask me!!
to let a song like that get you so in deep that you start hating on the general public is obscene..Fucking ridiculous..
Fucking pig shitts
June 10th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Also Get Down by Nas:
“Throw up a fist for black power, cause all we want is his freedom
He grabbed a court officer’s gun and started squeezin
Then he grabbed the judge, screams out — nobody leavin”
June 10th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Now, G is caught for doin’ a crime. Fourth offense on the boy: he’ll do some time.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
[…] Rapping about Cop Killing were a crime, these gangstas would be doing time.read more | digg […]
June 11th, 2008 at 12:04 am
[…] [Video] Top 8 Anti-Police Rap Songs Source: Criminals Wanted Blog […]
June 11th, 2008 at 1:43 am
Both versions (original and remix) of - ‘ Deep Cover ‘ - by Dr Dre` and Snoop Dogg is the dope and either one of them should be in the top 3 on the top 10 list bar none ….
Funny (in reality its prejudism in its finest) how people and law enforcement criticize rap music but yet when Eric Clapton performed ‘ I shot the sheriff ‘ , no organizations criticized the band for releasing that track and yet it was a top 10 song …. but when Bob Marley did a remake of the same track , those organizations wanted the song banned ….
Ice Ts version of ‘ Cop Killa ‘ I remembered had the most heat from law enforcement of any song that was released , so it goes to show if law enforcement had their way , it would be selective first amendment rights for individuals only … its OK if you sing a song about killing cops , Mr Clapton .. but its not OK for any black man to sing the same thing….Sorry to dissapoint all you rap music haters out there but slavery days were over 140 years ago and the constitution isnt written only for the white man anymore.
June 11th, 2008 at 3:33 am
1) Cop Killer - Body Count
2) Fuck The Police - NWA
3) Pigs - Cypress Hill
4) Dem Crazy - Dead Prez
5) CIA (Criminals in Action) - KRS1/Zack De La Rocha/Last Emperor
6) Coffee, Donuts and Death - Paris
7) Police State - Dead Prez (anything off of their first album)
That would be my list, but I like yours too.
June 11th, 2008 at 5:21 am
Just to correct “AKsilvereagle”…Bob Marley wrote and performed “I shot the sheriff”, and Eric Clapton did the remake. NOT the other way around. And to be honest there was never any fuss over it when Marley sang the song. Maybe a little bit, but not really.
Don’t make crap up in arguments to try and prove a point.
Also to the previous comment by: “lol Says”
KRS One was most certainly a gangster rapper at one time. He left that behind a long time ago, but you apparently do not know your hiphop history, so please research before you comment.
June 13th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
How bout “No Surrender” by Bone Thugs N Harmony
June 14th, 2008 at 2:40 am
Another song that makes the jakes uncomfortable is “Stuck in the middle with you” by Stealers wheel. I worked @ a convenience store and while it was on the radio I had a pig tell me “man I fu*kin’ hate this song”. I guess it’s from the awesome ear cutting scene in Reservoir Dogs. It might not be rap, but the one time hates it just the same.
June 14th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
I’m glad you got the Ghetto boys on blast… they rep the ghetto life too..
June 19th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
this list is aight but some songs dont belong here nas halftime is great but soent fight in to put a great song up but sacrafice its sontent is not right boy in the hood damn it feel good to be a gangta could be replaced with more fitting songs other than that the songs are a great gay to get bacon on you
July 12th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
[…] viens de tomber (merci Digg) sur une liste de 8 morceaux de rap (clips YouTube