LUMPENPROLETARIAT—We livin’ in a police state… I want to be free to live, able to have what I need to live. Bring the power back to the street, where the people live. We sick of workin’ for crumbs and fillin’ up the prisons, dyin’ over money and relyin’ on religion for help. We do for self, like ants in a colony. Organise the wealth into a socialist economy, a way of life based off the common need. And all my comrades is ready; we just spreadin’ the seed.
Messina
“Police State” (2000) by dead prez
[Speech excerpt of Chairman Omali Yeshitela:]
You have the emergence in human society
of this thing that’s called the state
What is the state? The state is this organised bureaucracy
It is the police department. It is the army, the navy
It is the prison system, the courts, and what have you
This is the state; it is a repressive organisation
But the state and—gee, well, you know
You’ve got to have the police ‘cos
If there were no police, look at what you’d be doing to yourselves!
You’d be killing each other, if there were no police!
But the reality is
The police become necessary in human society
Only at that junction in human society
Where it is split between those who have and those who ain’t got
[dead prez]
I throw a Molotov cocktail at the precinct, you know how we think
Organise the hood under I Ching banners
Red, black and green instead of gang bandanas
F.B.I. spyin’ on us through the radio antennas
And them hidden cameras in the streetlight watchin’ society
With no respect for the people’s right to privacy
I’ll take a slug for the cause like Huey P.
While all you fake niggas {UNNNGH} try to copy Master P
I want to be free to live, able to have what I need to live
Bring the power back to the street, where the people live
We sick of workin’ for crumbs and fillin’ up the prisons
Dyin’ over money and relyin’ on religion for help
We do for self, like ants in a colony
Organise the wealth into a socialist economy
A way of life based off the common needs
And all my comrades is ready; we just spreadin’ the seed
[chorus: dead prez]
The average black male
Live a third of his life in a jail cell
‘Cos the world is controlled by the white male
And the people don’t never get justice
And the women don’t never get respected
And the problems don’t never get solved
And the jobs don’t never pay enough
So the rent always be late; can you relate?
We livin’ in a police state
[dead prez]
No more bondage, no more political monsters
No more secret space launchers
Government departments started it in the projects
Material objects, thousands up in the closets
Could’ve been invested in a future for my comrades
Battle contacts, primitive weapons out in combat
Many never come back
Pretty niggas be runnin’ with gats
Rather get shot in they back than fire back
We tired of that; corporations hirin’ blacks
Denyin’ the facts, exploitin’ us all over the map
That’s why I write the shit I write in my raps
It’s documented; I meant it
Every day of the week, I live in it; breathin’ it
It’s more than just fuckin’ believin’ it
I’m holdin’ them ones, rollin’ up my sleeves an’ shit
It’s Cee-lo for push-ups now; many headed for one conclusion
Niggas ain’t ready for revolution
[chorus: dead prez]
[police siren wails]
[unidentified speaker]
I am a revolutionary
And you’re gonna have to keep on sayin’ that
You’re gonna have to say that I am a proletarian
I am the people; I’m not the pig
[another speaker]
Guiliani you are full of shit!
And anybody that’s down with you!
You could, man, make things better for us
And you cuttin’ the welfare
Knowin’ damn well when you cut the welfare
A person gon’ do crime
Songwriters: HEDRUSH / IBOMU, KHUN MUATA / OLUGBALA, MUTULU
“Police State” lyrics © Reverb Music, In A Bunch Music Ltd., Warner/Chappell Music Ltd., Broadley Music (International), Grow Your Own Music, Reverb Music Ltd., Associated Music International Ltd., Edition Kella Sound
***
[Image of record sleeve cover art entitled “DeadPrezLet’sGetFree” by Derived from a scan of the album cover (creator of this digital version is irrelevant as the copyright in all equivalent images is still held by the same party) Copyright held by the record company or the artist. Claimed as fair use regardless; Fair use.]
[18 AUG 2016]
[Last modified 14:57 PDT 22 AUG 2016]
Lumpenproletariat 