They are known for their sometimes confrontational style, combined with socialist lyrics focused on both militant social justice, and also positivity. The duo maintains an ethical stance against corporate control over the media, especially hip-hop record labels.
Assassination
dead prez Lyrics
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And you know damn well nobody wants to be poor
This play is gonna show how the pigs react
When the people start to take community
Control over what belongs to them
And liberate it back (echoes)
Sometimes I just don't care
Murderation, modern hanging education
Price of your life is goin' up, it ain't inflation
Incrimination, they got my picture at the station
Elimination, state to state we eatin' by this nation
Them belly full, my trigger finger got pulled
To cut the bull shots'll warm your flesh like wool
These tools for survival make fools out of rivals
Fuck the Bible, get on your knees and praise my rifle
Your life is done there ain't another place to run
Eat your own gun, scared because my people never known fun
Cops drive down the streets and blow my friends away
I try to smoke enough lah to take my sins away
This E and J be freein' us in it's own special way son
We live for the day, the only way done
The violence in me, reflect the violence that surround me
I choose that wildly, Mr. Charley keep his eye on me
To figure my head, but them ass kissin' niggas is dead
We learn the choke holds with fishermen's thread
I read The Art of Sun-Tzu in a couple of fuckin' days
Used to practice Kung-Fu with this nigga that's like, double my age
And you can put this on the government's grave
Somebody payin' for the way we have to suffer and slave
Assassination, word up
I hope they get the assassins
I hope that something is done to them
Problem is they're killing them
It reminds me of something like what happened to Lincoln
You ain't even safe with a full clip
Hustle out on the president's grave
I'm sick of livin' in this bullshit
We down to take it to the full length
Meet us up on Capitol Hill
And we can get up in some real shit
You ain't even safe wit a full clip
Hustle out on the president's grave
I'm sick of livin' in this bullshit
We down to take it to the full length
Meet us up on Capitol Hill
And we can get up in some real shit
Assassination
Yeah
The first few lines of Dead Prez's "Assassination" clearly address the struggles of poverty and the way in which people are constantly oppressed by the system. The line "Our people are poor/And you know damn well nobody wants to be poor" is a poignant one, as it points out that poverty is not a choice for most people. The subsequent lines, "This play is gonna show how the pigs react/When the people start to take community/Control over what belongs to them/And liberate it back" suggest that the song is not just a call to acknowledge the problem of poverty, but also a call to action for people to take control over their lives and their communities. The use of the term "pigs" to refer to the police implies a certain level of animosity towards law enforcement by people who are fed up with being oppressed and controlled by those in power.
The second verse of the song is a scathing critique of the system of violence and oppression that exists in the United States. The lines "Murderation, modern hanging education/Price of your life is goin' up, it ain't inflation/Incrimination, they got my picture at the station/Elimination, state to state we eatin' by this nation" point to the ways in which people are being systematically eliminated by the government, with their lives being deemed less and less valuable over time. The imagery of "modern hanging" is chilling, as it suggests that people are being lynched by the state in a more subtle and insidious way. The lines "Fuck the Bible, get on your knees and praise my rifle/Your life is done there ain't another place to run/Eat your own gun, scared because my people never known fun" are particularly powerful, as they highlight the paradoxical nature of violence - that those who reject peace and love will ultimately be consumed by hate and fear.
Overall, "Assassination" is a powerful song that speaks to the anger and frustration that many people feel about the realities of poverty and oppression in the United States. The call to action at the end of the song, to meet up on Capitol Hill and "get up in some real shit," suggests that Dead Prez is not content to simply sit back and complain about the problem - they want to take real, concrete steps towards addressing it.
Line by Line Meaning
Our people are poor
The people in our community are impoverished
And you know damn well nobody wants to be poor
Poverty is universally undesirable
This play is gonna show how the pigs react
This performance will display how law enforcement will respond
When the people start to take community
If the people start to take control of the community
Control over what belongs to them
Taking ownership over what rightfully belongs to them
And liberate it back (echoes)
And retrieve it from those who have taken it (repeated for emphasis)
Sometimes I just don't care
On occasion I feel apathetic
Murderation, modern hanging education
Killing, current education resembling hangings
Price of your life is goin' up, it ain't inflation
The value of a life is increasing, not because of inflation
Incrimination, they got my picture at the station
Being accused, the police have my photo on record
Elimination, state to state we eatin' by this nation
Being eliminated, we are consumed by this country from state to state
Them belly full, my trigger finger got pulled
They are satisfied, I am provoked
To cut the bull shots'll warm your flesh like wool
To eliminate noise, bullets will make your skin feel hot
These tools for survival make fools out of rivals
These methods for survival make enemies appear foolish
Fuck the Bible, get on your knees and praise my rifle
Disregard the Bible, bow down to my gun
Your life is done there ain't another place to run
You are going to die and have nowhere to escape
Eat your own gun, scared because my people never known fun
Commit suicide, scared because my people have never experienced joy
Cops drive down the streets and blow my friends away
Police patrol the streets and kill my friends
I try to smoke enough lah to take my sins away
I attempt to smoke enough marijuana to absolve my wrongdoings
This E and J be freein' us in it's own special way son
This E and J liquor is liberating us uniquely
We live for the day, the only way done
We exist moment by moment, without a true plan
The violence in me, reflect the violence that surround me
The aggression within me is an expression of the brutality around me
I choose that wildly, Mr. Charley keep his eye on me
I act unpredictably, knowing Mr. Charley (a derogatory term for a white man) is observing me
To figure my head, but them ass kissin' niggas is dead
Trying to understand me, but those who are overly compliant are irrelevant
We learn the choke holds with fishermen's thread
We have learned to create choke holds using fishing line
I read The Art of Sun-Tzu in a couple of fuckin' days
I have read The Art of War by Sun Tzu within a few days
Used to practice Kung-Fu with this nigga that's like, double my age
I used to train in Kung-Fu with a man twice my age
And you can put this on the government's grave
This statement is true and can be linked to the government
Somebody payin' for the way we have to suffer and slave
Someone is responsible for our misery and slavery
Assassination, word up
Killing, understand me
I hope they get the assassins
I hope those who commit murder are caught
I hope that something is done to them
I hope justice is served to them
Problem is they're killing them
The difficulty is they are killing them
It reminds me of something like what happened to Lincoln
This occurrence recalls the assassination of Lincoln
You ain't even safe with a full clip
Even with a loaded firearm, you are not entirely secure
Hustle out on the president's grave
We sold drugs on the president's grave
I'm sick of livin' in this bullshit
I am tired of living in this awful situation
We down to take it to the full length
We are ready to take action to the fullest extent
Meet us up on Capitol Hill
Join us at Capitol Hill
And we can get up in some real shit
And we can engage in some serious activity
Assassination
Killing
Lyrics © THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC., Royalty Network
Written by: Gavin Clayton, L Dechalus, Lavonne Alford
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind