|
Dead Prez Information
|
|
'Dead Prez' is the pair of largely-underground alternative rappers, Sticman and M-1. They have become known largely for their hard-hitting style and politically-aware lyrics, focusing on racism, critical pedagogy, and activism against governmental hypocrisy, and corporate control over the media: especially hip-hop record labels.
Their debut album was Let's Get Free (see 2000 in music), which had a minor popular music hit with the song "Hip Hop" the year before. The album was critically well-received, and included intense political diatribes featuring prominent black revolutionary Omali Yeshitela, as well as "Animal in Man," a retelling of George Orwell's Animal Farm. Some argue that Let's Get Free is one of the most influential albums in rap. In 2001 they collaborated with The Coup, another politically active hip-hop outfit, to release Get Up. In 2002, Dead Prez released the independent mix tape Turn Off The Radio volume 1, followed by the release of Get Free Or Die Tryin mixtape volume 2 in 2003. In 2004, Columbia Records finally released Revolutionary But Gangsta.
Some of Dead Prez's fan base have accused them of giving up on their revolutionary aspects, in exchange for their 'Gangsta' side after Revolutionary But Gangsta was release, while others say the group has begun to emphasize their black nationalism (especially in the Turn Off the Radio mixtapes) over their original views of radical socialism, and that this is alienating to previous fans of their work. Even still, other fans insist that the revolutionary lyrics are still prominent.
|
|
