Black Eyed Peas is a rap group that it would be easy to take a dismissive attitude with. Their brand of pop rap is massively successful, but the songs often lack substance. It might get people up on the dance floor, but it isn’t going to provoke any deeper thinking.
“Street Livin” deviates from their typical pop sound. It is a gritty political tune which offers poignant social commentary on systemic racism. It addresses issues such as police brutality and for profits prison. The video also offers up powerful imagery which supports the songs hard-hitting message.
Will.i.Am wrote the following about the message of the song and video: “”Street Livin'” was written to show that today’s struggles in the inner city is no different from Jim Crow, civil rights issues, heroin and jazz, crack and hip-hop, black-on-black crime vs. black lives matter, prisons vs. education, apartheid and DACA.”