The Coup

The Coup is the name of a Marxist hip-hop group fronted by "Boots" Riley. Currently the only other member is Pam the Funkstress. They are based in Oakland, California. They formed as a three-member group in 1992 (the third, E-Roc

The Coup is the name of a Marxist hip-hop group fronted by "Boots" Riley. Currently the only other member is Pam the Funkstress. They are based in Oakland, California. They formed as a three-member group in 1992 (the third, E-Roc, left on amicable terms after their second album), with the debut album Kill My Landlord. In 1994 they released their second album, Genocide and Juice. For the next few years they released nothing, but came back in 1998 with the independently-produced but critically-acclaimed Steal This Album, a title reminicent of anarchist Abbie Hoffman's book, Steal this Book. In 2001, they released Party Music to widespread praise; however, due to distribution problems sales of the album were low.

The Coup is politically radical in their music and aligns themselves with other radical hip-hop groups like Dead Prez. Their music is characterized by electronic sounds and bass-driven backbeats overlaid by humorous, cynical and sometimes violent lyrics criticizing capitalism, prostitution, American politics, and police brutality, among other things. Rumour has it that the FBI keeps a file on this band as subversive.