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Audio Agitation: Poli-Sci Rap Class

Tef Poe at civilian review board hearing 1.29.14
Rachel Lippmann | St. Louis Public Radio
Tef Poe at civilian review board hearing last year.

This week a couple of hip-hop musicians released tracks tackling current political issues. Tef Poe’s "Devils" follows Poe’s template of using his ire for a specific politician, in this case Ben Carson, to address systemic issues he sees in the political structure. For Poe, it’s full steam ahead.

MME’s "Penny Bank (Peace God)" uses different group members' personal experiences to examine economic issues and the challenge of remaining an individual in the face of cultural pressures. This group's approach is more nebulous and often forgoes direct political references in favor of examining political influence on indirect social pressures.

Nato Caliph offers a historical approach with his album "Force Majuer" released this past year. His points include references to police civilian relations, the legacy of Malcolm X, and U.S. military involvement overseas.

In keeping with this theme, we offer six tracks that view politics through the lens of hip hop.

Warning: these songs may contain strong language that some may find offensive. This is not an endorsement of this language.