Hip-Hop Beats Back the Corporate Attack

"We’ve got five million ways to kill a CEO” chants Boots Riley, MC for the Progressive Hip-Hop Band “The Coup”. The Coup’s newest album, Party Music is non-stop, full of funky beats and on-point politics. The album’s lyrics address issues of corporate policies, police brutality, gender roles, and speaks out about the necessity for revolution. The issues brought up within the lyrics are very easy to relate to.

"We’ve got five million ways to kill a CEO” chants Boots Riley, MC for the Progressive Hip-Hop Band “The Coup”. The Coup’s newest album, Party Music is non-stop, full of funky beats and on-point politics. The album’s lyrics address issues of corporate policies, police brutality, gender roles, and speaks out about the necessity for revolution. The issues brought up within the lyrics are very easy to relate to.

The beats are the best thing about the album; the use of old school P-funk style beats blows the listener’s mind. The samples that Pam The Funktress, the Coup’s DJ, comes up with are truly unique. They actually turn Party Music into real party music. There would not be a problem with throwing this album on and seriously getting down.

Producing good lyrics, great beats, and a progressive message has been difficult for most progressive artists, however the Coup comes through with Party Music. Over all, the rhyme scheme could be better. The simplistic repetitive rhythm of the lyrics makes them very easy to predict. This is something I think the Coup have to work on in their future albums.

They did develop a lot from their previous albums, especially the lyrical skills of MC Boots Riley. They’re becoming more public, making their album easier to find in record stores. This year, they performed for the first time in years in New York City, and getting in contact, and working with other rising revolutionary hip hop artist such as "Dead Prez" and "Tahir" of the Headrush crew. The Coup is out making contacts, getting involved with other radical groups, and still making records. The best thing about this new specter, this new wave of radical hip-hop is something I’m looking forward to in the years ahead.

The Coup made heads turn with their original album cover for Party Music, which depicted the World Trade Center blowing up, with Boots Riley holding the detonator. Scores of journalists tracked down MC boots after September 11th. Riley maintained that the use of symbolism and that the events were simply coincidental. The World Trade Center was a symbol of capitalism and by blowing it up, figuratively he was destroying the oppressive capitalist system. Riley did not condone the terrorist acts of September 11, seeing no connection between terrorism, and people coming together, fighting for social justice.
The Coup has been political from their first album, often acting as youth and community activists. They’re a new type of role model for millions of young people, giving activists the revolutionary lyrics that you can still get your groove on to. All in all, everything the Coup stands for is exactly what the people, especially the youth, need for the development and growth of our struggle.


Abdul-Aziz Hassan is student at John Jay College in New York City, and works at the YCL National Office.