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« Strange Fruit » - Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday first recorded “Strange Fruit” in 1939, adapting the words of a poem called “Bitter Fruit” written by high school teacher Abel Meeropol and published in 1937, after he saw a photograph of a lynching. Some argue that this is the most influential protest song of the 20th century, praising its ability to bring listeners back to the horror and rage. -
"What’s Going On" - Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye wrote this song that went on to become an anti-war anthem shortly after his brother Frankie returned home from the Vietnam War.Though this song came out in 1971, it has remained relevant over the past five decades, even resurfacing, in the wake of rising tensions between the United States and Iran. -
« F*ck tha Police » - N.W.A.
Originally released in 1988 in a biopic of N.W.A. and featured on their second album#, this song may be one of the most controversial songs ever recorded.« Nous voulions souligner la force excessive et l’humiliation que nous traversons dans ces situations », a déclaré Ice Cube, le leader de la N.W.A., à Buzzfeed News en 2015 -
“Fight The Power” - Public Enemy (1989)
Spike Lee approached Public Enemy to create a song for his film Do The Right Thing, giving rise to this enduring protest anthem. In the fall of 1989, when black students in Virginia rioted against hostile police officers, the crowd chanted “fight the power” as a rallying cry. -
« Alright » - Kendrick Lamar
In 2015, the words “we gon’ be alright” could be heard shouted at anti-police brutality protests around the country.which has become the unofficial anthem of the Black Lives Matter Movement. -
Immigrants (We Get The Job Done)
Almost every night on the Broadway stage, one line is spoken that receives a full-crowd applause and a standing ovation: “Immigrants / We get the job done!”Lin-Manuel Miranda album concept hip-hop qui mettait en vedette divers artistes et leurs re-conceptions des chansons et des paroles de sa comédie musicale à succès. -
"We The People" - A Tribe Called Quest
This is a song for the marginalized masses living in post-2016 election America. After an 18-year hiatus, A Tribe Called Quest released this as a lead single to their final studio album days after Donald Trump was elected into office. -
“This Is America” - Childish Gambino
In 2018, actor Donald Glover, known by his musical moniker Childish Gambino, released this song accompanied by a powerful music video depicting the anti-black racism that occurs every day in the United States. As Glover dances to the melody, the screen fills with images of police brutality and mass murders, signifying how society just sits by as atrocities happen. -
« Don’t Shoot » - Diamant de kar
This song, and its powerful accompanying music video, is a rallying cry for trans people, queer people, and people of color. As a black transgender woman, Shea Diamond believes that this song captures the intersections of her experience and identity. Diamond has said that her inspiration came from the news stories of so many black trans women being killed.
