Dead Prez - "RBG" (Revolutionary But
Gangsta/CD)
Sound:
B Music: A
You
need to know something very important about Dead Prez. They don't have time for white people. I mean, it's an "us vs. them"
scenario as far as these guys are concerned.
Lucky for us white people that we got the government, cops and big
business on our side or we'd be shit outta luck, ya know whut I'm sayin',
bruddas an' sistas. Seriously, it's too
easy to be a white person these days.
That's why we should give it up to Dead Prez for hooking us up with an
alternate view of reality on "RBG". Ghetto life is hard, and Dead Prez chronicle
it with gusto. They're just positive
enough to offer up criticism of our culture and even the occasional solution,
but just gangsta enough to suggest ripping off credit card companies and
shopping malls, among other things.
You're
not just buying a CD here. You're buying
into an ideology, a philosophy.
Although, revolution (if it ever comes to pass) will probably not leave
the record company standing. Although, I
don't know if Dead Prez has allegiance to anything other than to their own
community. Certainly, they don't care
for America: on
one skit, a band member chastises a friend for being patriotic after all this
country has done to dump on the black community. Likewise, on "Walk Like A Warrior", they eschew passive, non-violent protest
because, hey, let's face it, look where it got MLK, huh?
Of
course, where would a mix of Public Enemy and the Geto Boys be without a little
paranoia. On "d.o.w.n." they say, "Put a rag on your face when you
ride. You don't want the satellites to
take your picture." Okay, fine, but
what are you guys doing posing faces uncovered for the sleeve of your own
album? Are you scared they may be out to
get you?
Okay,
so if I'm taking all these potshots at Dead Prez, then why did I give this
album an A? Well, because at the end of
the day, it's all about music. Dead Prez have left us with an album full of
good beats and quotable lyrics (my favorite: "Just when you thought it was
safe/Police killed a little boy last night/They said it was a mistake/But that
won't bring back his life/His mama couldn't believe/that it could happen to
her's/she prayed to God every day/Guess it just wasn't enough" from "I have a dream, too"). Krayzie Bone and Jay-Z also make an
appearance on the album, so get it…. even if you're white.
- Michael J. Farmer
