Political hip hop

Political hip hop is a subgenre of hip hop music. Though mainstream and crossover acceptance has been generally limited to gangsta rap and pop rap, some artists with a socially aware and

Political hip hop is a subgenre of hip hop music. Though mainstream and crossover acceptance has been generally limited to gangsta rap and pop rap, some artists with a socially aware and positive or optimistic tone or a more avantgarde approach have achieved some success. They are often referred to in mainstream musical circles as conscious hip hop due to their focus on political issues surrounding the black community, which differentiates them from gangsta rappers. Fans of such rappers tend to view this genre as more authentic hip hop, claiming that they harken back to hip hop's early days where several artists rapped about "socially conscious" issues and gangsta rap had not yet gained mainstream acceptance.

The first rapper to explore political issues was Ice-T. The single "Killers" from 1984 seems to have been the first political rap record, and this was followed by his "Squeeze the Trigger" in 1986. His views were generally left-wing, although maintained a sense of machismo; this mixture has remained the standard for political rappers ever since. The hook to "Killers" read, "It's time for all to work together for peace/ 'Cause everybody's doomed if the killings don't cease/ Street homicide, war - it's all the same/ Because murder is murder by any name." In 1994, Ice-T released a book entitled The Ice Opinion, which contained thorough explanation of his political views.