The Coup
The Coup is a political hip hop group based in Oakland, California. It form… Read Full Bio ↴The Coup is a political hip hop group based in Oakland, California. It formed as a three-member group in 1992 with rappers (Raymond) Boots Riley and E-Roc along with DJ Pam the Funkstress. E-Roc left on amicable terms after the group's second album, but appears on the track "Breathing Apparatus" on The Coup's third album, Steal This Album. The group is now a duo.
The Coup, part of the sub-genre of political hip hop, is politically radical and Marxist in their music, and align 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, American politics, pimping as a form of patriarchal exploitation, and police brutality, among other things.
The Coup's debut album was 1993's Kill My Landlord. In 1994 they released their second album, Genocide and Juice. After a four-year recording hiatus, the group released the critically acclaimed Steal This Album in 1998, the title of which was reminiscent of lifestylist Abbie Hoffman's Steal this Book. The album featured the stand-out single "Me and Jesus the Pimp in a '79 Granada Last Night". The online magazine Dusted called Steal This Album "the best hip-hop album of the 1990s".
In 2001, The Coup released Party Music to widespread praise. However, in part due to distribution problems, sales of the album were low. The original album cover art depicted group members Pam the Funkstress and Riley standing in front of the twin towers of the World Trade Center as they are destroyed by huge explosions; Riley is pushing the button on a guitar tuner. The cover art was finished in June 2001, and was scheduled to be released just after the September 11, 2001 attacks. In response to the uncanny similarity of the artwork with the Sept. 11 attacks, the album release was held back until alternative cover art could be prepared.
The attention generated to the album's cover art generated some criticism of the group's lyrical content as well, particularly the Party Music track "5 Million Ways to Kill a CEO". The song's rap includes lines like, "You could throw a twenty in a vat of hot oil/When he jump in after it, watch him boil". Conservative columnist Michelle Malkin cited the song in calling The Coup's work a "stomach-turning example of anti-Americanism disguised as highbrow intellectual expression".
On November 15, 2005, Tarus Jackson (AKA Terrance), who had joined the group as a promoter, was fatally shot during a robbery at his home in Oakland.
December 2, 2006 saw another tragedy for The Coup: About two hours following a performance at the San Diego House of Blues, the tour bus in which they were riding drove off the road and flipped over before becoming engulfed in flames. All passengers managed to climb out alive, though some were badly injured. They did, however, lose all of their clothes, computers, cash, identification, house/car keys and cell phones as well as all of their instruments and sound equipment. Since an insurance settlement is potentially a year away, they were forced to cancel the rest of their tour.
Current line-up:
Boots Riley: Lyrics, Vocals, Production, Handclaps, Dancin and Keyboard tweeks.
Pam The Funkstress: Scratches and Poplocking
Silk-E: Vocals and gettin her muthafuckin gig on.
B'nai Rebelfront: Guitar and "not a damn thing else".
J.J. Jungle: Bass, Backflips, and Spins.
Hassan Hurd: Drums and football.
LJ Holoman: Organ and other keys.
Their songs "My Favorite Mutiny" and "Pork & Beef" were featured in the 2007 film Superbad, while "Ridin' The Fence" was featured in EA's 2007 skateboarding video game, Skate.
The Coup, part of the sub-genre of political hip hop, is politically radical and Marxist in their music, and align 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, American politics, pimping as a form of patriarchal exploitation, and police brutality, among other things.
The Coup's debut album was 1993's Kill My Landlord. In 1994 they released their second album, Genocide and Juice. After a four-year recording hiatus, the group released the critically acclaimed Steal This Album in 1998, the title of which was reminiscent of lifestylist Abbie Hoffman's Steal this Book. The album featured the stand-out single "Me and Jesus the Pimp in a '79 Granada Last Night". The online magazine Dusted called Steal This Album "the best hip-hop album of the 1990s".
In 2001, The Coup released Party Music to widespread praise. However, in part due to distribution problems, sales of the album were low. The original album cover art depicted group members Pam the Funkstress and Riley standing in front of the twin towers of the World Trade Center as they are destroyed by huge explosions; Riley is pushing the button on a guitar tuner. The cover art was finished in June 2001, and was scheduled to be released just after the September 11, 2001 attacks. In response to the uncanny similarity of the artwork with the Sept. 11 attacks, the album release was held back until alternative cover art could be prepared.
The attention generated to the album's cover art generated some criticism of the group's lyrical content as well, particularly the Party Music track "5 Million Ways to Kill a CEO". The song's rap includes lines like, "You could throw a twenty in a vat of hot oil/When he jump in after it, watch him boil". Conservative columnist Michelle Malkin cited the song in calling The Coup's work a "stomach-turning example of anti-Americanism disguised as highbrow intellectual expression".
On November 15, 2005, Tarus Jackson (AKA Terrance), who had joined the group as a promoter, was fatally shot during a robbery at his home in Oakland.
December 2, 2006 saw another tragedy for The Coup: About two hours following a performance at the San Diego House of Blues, the tour bus in which they were riding drove off the road and flipped over before becoming engulfed in flames. All passengers managed to climb out alive, though some were badly injured. They did, however, lose all of their clothes, computers, cash, identification, house/car keys and cell phones as well as all of their instruments and sound equipment. Since an insurance settlement is potentially a year away, they were forced to cancel the rest of their tour.
Current line-up:
Boots Riley: Lyrics, Vocals, Production, Handclaps, Dancin and Keyboard tweeks.
Pam The Funkstress: Scratches and Poplocking
Silk-E: Vocals and gettin her muthafuckin gig on.
B'nai Rebelfront: Guitar and "not a damn thing else".
J.J. Jungle: Bass, Backflips, and Spins.
Hassan Hurd: Drums and football.
LJ Holoman: Organ and other keys.
Their songs "My Favorite Mutiny" and "Pork & Beef" were featured in the 2007 film Superbad, while "Ridin' The Fence" was featured in EA's 2007 skateboarding video game, Skate.
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The Coup Lyrics
20 20,000 gun salute, get rowdy like you got a substitute This…
360 Degrees Baby boy (get it together) with big brown eyes And oh…
5 Million Ways to Kill a C.E.O Help me out Yo, yo, yo, yo Help me out Yo, yo, yo,…
500 (Tai Jason) Fünf hundert die Zahl auf mein' Banknoten Fünf …
AFD Ah! Ihr habt alle miese Zeiten der Flüchtling ist dran schul…
Alles Kebap Man erzählt, du bist Illuminati, Hafti Flows von Logen, drum…
Ass-Breath Killers Why-why-why-you've got ass breath! {*scratched: "And now a …
BabyLet'sHaveABabyBeforeBushDoSomethin'Crazy Baby, let's have a baby Before Bush do somethin' crazy Baby,…
Breathing Apparatus "Dr. Bruce, telephone please, Dr. Bruce, telephone please.."…
Bullets And Love I'm a walkin contradiction like bullets and love mixin Slur …
Bullets and Love (Introduction) I'm a walkin' contradiction like bullets and love mixin' Slu…
Busterismology I'm risin' like the vapors from the dank Fuck the…
Captain Sterling Get yo' ass off the flo' {*4X*} [Chorus] It's a wrap the…
Cars & Shoes [Boots] Now if ya gettin' in my car don't sit…
Dig It Presto, read the Communist Manifesto Guerillas in the Mist, …
Drug Warz Now the FBI monitors with no feedback Saw me on…
Everythang "And it was just about the time For the part of…
Fat Cats Get down, get down, get down Get down, get down, get…
Fixation Well this is verbal penetration Alert your school administ…
Fo da Money [boots] Ahhhhhhh yesss, ah-heh Tell me somethin Were you,…
Fo Da' Money [Boots] Ahhhhhhh yesss, ah-heh Tell me somethin Were you, ab…
Foul Play Brothers on the block making bankroll The billion dollar dr…
Fuck A Perm "Dayaam, look at baby's hair over there and shit! Damn…
Funk I used to kick it with a brother named, Moe…
Get That Monkey Off Your Back I'm supposed to be draggin' my foot Out your motherfuckin' a…
Get up Dead Prez, The Coup People Army, where the G's at? C'mon..…
Ghetto Manifesto [Unverified] I write my lyrics on parking tickets and summo…
Gib Geld Gib Geld, gib Geld, uah Gib Geld, gib Geld, oh Gib Geld,…
Gib ma her Gib ma' her, gib ma' her, gib ma' her, gib…
Gunsmoke Smell the gunsmoke Smell the gunsmoke Smell the gunsmoke Sme…
Hard Concrete While growin' up in the ghetto my time went fast See,…
Head Bush and Hussein together in bed Giving H E A D…
Heven Tonite [Chorus] Preacher man wanna save my soul Don't nobody wanna …
Hip 2 tha Skeme See, I ain't never had shit But my strife and my…
I Ain't The Nigga Now I shall tell a story that's filled with words…
I Know You I know you motherfucker, know where you live You're the cop…
I Love Booster I love them boosters, they love them boosters You should lov…
Ich zahle gar nix Maserati, SUV, Bentley, Ferrari, vollgetankter GTS weiß oder…
Interrogation I ain't seen shit I ain't heard nathan, I dont know…
Intro Hey, how you do? And if you don't already know about…
Kanack Frank Sinatra (Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Kölle, Bobinn, O…
Kill My Landlord (Hey, how are you guys fixing to pay?) Now check it,…
Last Blunt *sounds of smoking, coughing, and choking* "Do you know …
Lauf der Dinge Ah! Frankfurt ist Kingston Die Antwort auf dein' Wing Tsun k…
Laugh/Love/Fuck [Chorus] I'm here to laugh, love, fuck and drink liquor and …
Lazymuthafucka Now, when I go to bed it's almost time to…
Liberation of Lonzo 1986 a motherfucker doin' tricks on the mix and I…
Me and Jesus the Pimp Well, he was smilin' like a vulture as he rolled…
MindFuck [Chorus] They're givin us a mind fuck They don't have to put…
My Favorite Mutiny [Black Thought] Move, if you got the nerve Lash out for your…
My Favorite Mutiny ft. Talib Kweli [Black Thought] Move, if you got the nerve Lash out for yo…
My Favourite Mutiny Feat. Black Thought... [Black Thought] Move, if you got the nerve Lash out for your…
Not Yet Free "Blacks are too fuckin broke to be republicans" In this lan…
Nowalaters Well if you thrust, eventually you gonna gush And I'm implyi…
Outro Get it together…
Paranoid Ah, okay Mainhattan, Nachtleben, Katzen in Diskotheken Nachd…
Pimps Fuck naw I ain't got no Grey Poupon Well anyway, I…
Piss On Your Grave (Chorus) Uhhhh!! I want to piss on your grave! make…
Pork and Beef Coup, yeah It's all good man, we off in the Oakland…
Repo Man Who is the motherfucker rollin' through the hood? Who is the…
Ride the Fence Yeah Uh-huh Yeah That's right Gotta get off the phone, b…
Santa Rita Weekend Stepping up out of my cell With sandals and county blues,…
ShoYoAss Now's the time for you to showyoass They ain't handin' out…
Sie killt f%C3%BCr mich Ich war am ticken, als wir uns das erste Mal…
Sneakin How we gon' get in for free? Now, I calculate…
Sneakin' In How we gon' get in for free? Now, I calculate…
Strange Arithmetic History has taught me some strange arithmetic Using swords,…
Swervin Now another FBI monitor with no feedback See me on the…
Tach Tach Bin von Yayo-Häschen in Playboy-Mansions Zu Billboard-Fläche…
Takin Come up come up man Come up come up man Come…
The Coup Check it out, it's the motherfucking c-o-u To the p now…
The Gods Of Science Gods of science have spoken "Grab the wire and choke them" …
The Guillotine We got the guillotine We got the guillotine, you better run…
The Magic Clap Clap, magic clap Clap, magic clap It's like a hot wire, …
The Name Game Now, motherfuckers done made a name for theyself But a name…
The Repo Man Sings for You It's the Repo' Man! Repossession is my occupation It's not m…
The Shipment It ain't Indonesia, China White Purple-Haired Thai, Big H D…
The Stand This is the place where I take my stand Take my…
This One This ones a girl lets name her Pam Pam 'cause the…
This Year This year will be the year That we do what we've…
Thought About It 2 Have you thought about it 2? Because we are here for…
Tiffany Hall Tiffany Hall It appears we didn't know you at all Hey hey…
Tight Pam, the funkstress, you're so tight Just scratch me up and…
Tret die T%C3%BCr ein Tret die Tür ein, sag mir, wo sind die Batzen? Tret…
Tret die Tür ein Tret die Tür ein, sag mir, wo sind die Batzen? Tret…
U.C.P.A.S We don't make no damn Mickey Mouse music! F.T.S. with…
Underdogs This is for my folkers who got bills overdue This is…
Violet Under hesitant flicker of neon glow Where the trash cans bl…
WAVIP Yeah, you don't need to see I.D Kool A.D., Kool A.D.,…
We Are The Ones We, we are the ones We'll seal your fate, tear down…
Wear Clean Drawers You know you're my cookie baby and you're too smart I…
Whathegirlmuthafuckinwannadoo We gon' have a sing-along Turn up Janelle for me This …
You Are Not a Riot You, you are not a riot You are right wing terror…
Your Parents' Cocaine [Verse 1: Boots Riley] The valet pointed me through the door…
Zwei Rolys pro Arm Es ist Babo Haft und der Bra Es ist, es ist,…