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.
This One
The Coup Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pam 'cause the wrecker
This ones a girl lets name her Pam
Pam 'cause the wrecker
Y'all better recognize this is dope enough
Y'all better recognize this be dope enough to make you holler
Promise me to stop
Promise me to stop and step
Not as smooth with it so
Not as smooth with it so what can you do with it
The Coup's song This One's a Girl conveys a powerful rhetoric on feminism and social justice. The lyrics begin with the line "This ones a girl lets name her Pam", an introduction of a powerful figure that fights against the status quo. The name "Pam" is symbolic of this fight as it is derived from "pamper", which signifies the coddling of women. The lyrics go on to say "Pam 'cause the wrecker", indicating that she will actively dismantle the systemic oppression and discrimination towards women.
The following line, "Y'all better recognize this is dope enough", can be interpreted as a challenge to people to acknowledge the power and strength of women's voices. The repetition of the phrase "Y'all better recognize" emphasizes the importance of this recognition. The next line, "Promise me to stop and step", likely means that if we want to create positive change and break free from oppressive systems, we need to stop and reconsider our actions in order to take steps towards a better future.
The final line, "Not as smooth with it so what can you do with it", could be interpreted as a challenge to those who are resistant to change. The singer is communicating that even if their actions are not perfectly executed, they are still making progress towards a better future and simply doing the best they can. Overall, the song challenges listeners to recognize the struggles and fight for gender equality and social justice.
Line by Line Meaning
This ones a girl lets name her Pam
Let's identify this person as a girl and give her the name Pam.
Pam 'cause the wrecker
Her name is Pam, which symbolizes how she is a wrecking force or a threat to those who underestimate her.
This ones a girl lets name her Pam
Again, let's identify this person as a girl and give her the name Pam.
Pam 'cause the wrecker
Once more, her name is Pam, which symbolizes how she is a wrecking force or a threat to those who underestimate her.
Y'all better recognize this is dope enough
You all need to acknowledge that this song is good enough.
Y'all better recognize this be dope enough to make you holler
You all need to acknowledge that this song is not only good but also exciting and will make you shout in appreciation.
Promise me to stop
Agree to stop what you are doing.
Promise me to stop and step
Agree to stop what you are doing and move away from the situation.
Not, not, not
I do not want to hear any excuses or justifications.
Not as smooth with it so
I do not have a lot of expertise in this area.
Not as smooth with it so what can you do with it
Since I am not an expert in this area, what solutions or options do you suggest?
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MissingT ime
I used to not be into hip-hop, or rhythym with poetry, but I continually opened my eyes. I think these guys have finally opened them fully. I also realize they're not alone in artists of this calibur, and now my mission is to just find these artists. PS: Go mc chris!
maza radhe
This will be one of the most remembered even though it came out without much fanfare. It is musically solid ,Funky ass and politically charged. He is a Poet for sure. But will be remembered for his POINT_ON take on America!!
Jethro Q
We are born from the mildew, the rust, the heathenous lust
The dreams in the dust, the evidence flushed
The grieving is just, they're thieving from us
Insulted and cussed, this evening we bust
Our pay's unstable and under the table
We like free speech but we love free cable
indomitableRNR
This is easily my new favorite song/album. Pretty neat the way he sings.
Dom Gallant
1) Stop feeding the trolls 2) This is a great song 3) Long live the coup!
urbandiversityud
This is some music and you can rap real good even if it's not hip hop.
Carolyn Wulf
This video is so timely, very much applicable to this time of now in 2021
Borislav Nikolov
love boots flow ... the coup r the real talk !!
m0bi
Solidarity with those fighting in Greece and may the fires of rebellion spread everywhere!
kingofblaxmedia
he is speaking as the oppressor... been doing it since their first album... Oakland legends