"Hip-Hop" is a song by American hip hop duo
Dead Prez
Dead Prez (stylized in lowercase) is an American hip hop duo composed of M-1 and stic.man, formed in 1996 in New York City. They are known for their confrontational style, combined with lyrics focused on both militant social justice, self-de ...
, released on March 30, 1999 as a single from their debut studio album ''
Let's Get Free'' (2000). Produced by production group Hedrush and Dead Prez, it is the duo's best-known song.
Composition and lyrics
The production of the song features a "warped, wobbly" bassline. Lyrically, Dead Prez criticizes the capitalist functions of the music industry and its exploitation of black people ("These record labels slang our tapes like dope / You can be next in line and signed and still be writing rhymes and broke"),
and encourages the idea of using hip hop music as a means to promote social change.
In the first verse,
M1 promotes staying true to oneself as a rapper, and
Stic.man echoes the song's message in his final lines.
Critical reception
The song received positive reviews from music critics. Andy Capper of ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' described it as "A truly remarkable, inventive track - with its crazy, twisting boa constrictor bassline and blazing, call-to-arms chorus - it's a fierce declaration of war on hip-hop capitalists and an urgent reminder for rappers and fans alike to consider the bigger picture, asking them: 'Would you rather have a Lexus or justice?'"
''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' ranked it as one of the greatest songs of 1999.
Remix
A remix of the song "It's Bigger Than Hip-Hop" appears on ''Let's Get Free''. This version features Tahir (of Hedrush) and The People's Army and was produced by
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
and Dead Prez.
In popular culture
The song served as the opening music for ''
Chappelle's Show
''Chappelle's Show'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedians Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show and starring in the majority of its sketches. Chappelle, Brennan, and Michele Armour were ...
'' (where the instrumental version of the song is used)
and the documentary series ''
Hip-Hop Evolution''.
Charts
"Hip-Hop"
"It's Bigger Than Hip-Hop"
References
{{Dead Prez
1999 singles
1999 songs
American hip-hop songs
Loud Records singles