Much of the music of the 90s may be associated more with personal angst that political dissension, but it was still a rich decade for socially conscious music. The decade could be considered the golden age of afro-centric hip-hop music. Movements such as riot grrrl and queercore were also important in amplifying women and LGBTQ+ voices. There was a diverse […]
Learn more →
As we get closer to the US Presidential election there has been a spike in protest music. Much of the music released is either directly aimed at Trump or discusses the importance of voting. As with the previous months, there is also music that addresses issues of systemic racism, police brutality, and a variety of other social concerns. Also, in […]
Learn more →
After the noticeable spike in political music in June, July eased off a bit. But there was still plenty of music to provide the soundtrack to what continues to be tumultuous times. We are still in the middle of a pandemic, people continue to protest, and Breonna Taylor’s murderers are still free. Here is a recap of some of the […]
Learn more →
Part of the purpose of this site is to chronicle the historical developments of protest music. One way to do this is to look back at previous decades. I previously published a list of the 100 Best Protest Albums of the 2010s. Now we are going to look back at the best albums of other decades, starting with the 2000s. […]
Learn more →Here is your weekly sample of recently released socially conscious music. Songs and Videos: Gacked on Anger – Amyl and the Sniffers The Aussie punk quartet just released their full-length self-titled debut. The album isn’t overly political, but “Gacked on Anger” is a righteous 70s inspired anthem of disenfranchisement. Notable lyrics: “I wanna help out the people on the street/But […]
Learn more →Black Thought, the MC of The Roots, recently released the EP Stream of Thought Vol. 2, the follow-up to Vol. 1 released earlier in the year. Because many now associate Black Thought by his birth name Tariq Trotter, as part of the house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, it is easy to lose sight of his influence as a socially […]
Learn more →Black Thought of The Roots recorded an original tune for the upcoming six part documentary series, Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, which debuts on July 30, 2018. Jay-Z is one of the series executive producers. Black Thought not only addresses the murder of Trayvon Martin, but he poignantly addresses the history of the systemic racism that America is built on. Potent […]
Learn more →