It’s been almost 32 years since the release of N.W.A’s ‘Fuck Tha Police’, one of the most influential songs. Interestingly enough, the message the men of the sensational hip hop group sent out is still, and possibly may always be, relevant.
With the murder of black people by the hands of the police surfacing increasingly, it’s incredibly important to let go of what we’ve always been taught is our defining trait, our color. It's no surprise that the world is being shaken up by shameful displays of the more-than-prominent cracks in our system. Regardless of where we are, who we are and where we come from, this deep rooted issue is one that lies within all of us. The way we were all brought up has strong traces of toxic thinking that just cannot go ignored. Right from our ‘obsession’ with fairness creams, or our preference of models or artists, or even the way we see makeup and the standards of beauty. India, America, Africa, Sweden, Sydney, Siberia, Melrose Ave, everywhere! Doesn’t this seem a little (read: a LOT) unfair to you?
An issue so strongly rooted in society had been explicitly dug into by the members of N.W.A. back in 1988, exploring the SAME exact issues we still deal with now. It’s been over 30 years since the song of the revolution came out, and yet, we sit back in our chairs, watching the televised showing of George Floyd’s murder. Black lives matter, and it's about time we ALL understand that.
Ice Cube once spoke about how the song represented all the frustration they had because of constantly being pulled over by policemen, being harassed, abused and disrespected all the time. He talks about how this issue has existed not only for the past few decades, but for the last 400 years. While reading this, a familiar bell rings its tune. The names of all those beaten, abused, arrested, misbehaved with, humiliated and those denied basic human rights—these names echo in my ears as I even try to think about this.
This song has been deemed as the ideal ‘protest song’ by many people throughout the years. Ice Cube also said in an interview once, that music was their only weapon. This most definitely stands true, mostly because words, songs and peaceful acts of dissent are the only weapons in any protest. And so, “Fuck Tha Police" might just be the perfect ‘protest’ song even now, over three decades later.
With that being said, even though the black squares of solidarity have gone obsolete on all social media, our fight for justice will go on. Equality and justice isn't something seasonal. It isn’t something that remains on our feed. The real change needs to be in the way we think, and thus, in the way we act. Lets learn to respect all cultures, because after all, we are not defined by it—that is just a part of who we are, which needs to be acknowledged and celebrated.
Written by @zarahyolo for @heartbrokenzine