When Politics Inspire Art Awesomeness Happens

 

Politics inspire art with music being one of its many branches. In “Nobody Speak” DJ Shadow, who provides all the sick beats; and Run the Jewels, a rap duo consisting of Killer Mike from Atlanta and El-P from Brooklyn. Solo rappers who vibed so well when they met in 2012 that they decided to start making music together. It should be noted here they still produce solo albums and are true to their respective rap styles when they work together. For example, El-P started rapping in Brooklyn when he was still a teenager, forming a group in 1992. He was pretty active in the rap scene for awhile, but only raps with Killer Mike now. Currently focusing on music production and film scores. Run the Jewels formed in 2013 when El-P connected with Killer Mike for a project. Initially it was going to be a one-time thing but they had such a great time that they kept making albums together. Killer Mike made his record debut on an Outkast album in 2000. His first studio album was critically acclaimed and released in 2003. Not a one-hit-wonder, Killer Mike’s 2023 album won three Grammy awards. When Killer Mike is not rapping, he’s a political and social activist who speaks out against systemic racism, social inequality, and police brutality.

 
DJ Shadow has been slinging beats since 1989 but his first full-length album didn’t come together until 1996; titled Endtroducing. Not only was it a critical success, but in 2001 it received recognition from the Guinness Book of World Records for being the first “completely sampled album.” Run the Jewels tend to write politically motivated rap because of how much politics shape the nation and hurt minorities and the poor. In fact, Killer Mike goes to Instagram and news sites to get his inspiration/angst for his rapping. Being an activist and a musician is a match made in heaven. It is also why Killer Mike has had so much success because he has important things to talk about and uses a medium that many generations listen to and can relate to, which is also why “Nobody Speak” was such a hit.

 
The intended audience for this song were middle-aged Americans, like the speakers, who would understand and appreciate the lingo and logic put forth through the words and recognize the sample choices in the beat, according to an interview with all three on a web series “How I wrote that Song” by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. However, I believe that this song is intended for anyone who can vote. It was released in 2016, which tells us that they wanted to bring focus to the elections ramping up at the time and the deepening divide between our two political parties. A divide that seems to have grown since then. Not to mention the Republican front runner that year, Donald Trump, had/has the reputation of being a bully.

 
Run the Jewels and DJ Shadow are pushing us to see how our politicians are more concerned with fighting each other and having a pissing contest than they are concerned about what needs to be done for not only our country, but the world at large. While they fight with each other they forget about the constituents they are supposed to be representing and helping. That is, until it is time to run for election again, then they make their false promises while pointing their fingers at the opposition; telling the masses that it was the other side of the aisle that made it impossible for them to make good on their promises last term. But if they would just vote for them again, this time they will be able to get it done.

 
The reason this video is powerful is because it shows us, using satire, how the infighting within our government escalates to the detriment of the American people who are left to pick up the pieces and clean up the mess when leaders throw our country into disarray. Leaders who don’t have to pick up after themselves because there’s a lower class of people, who don’t get paid nearly enough money, who will come in and tidy the room back up. Leaders who are rarely held accountable for their actions because they are really good at playing the game and pointing an accusatory finger at the other side. What the American people need to do is look at what their representatives and senators are actually doing and look at the track records rather than listening to the false campaigns and empty promises they spout when they seek re-election or election to a higher office. Many politicians bank on their constituents listening to the news either on a biased tv network or in their echo chambers and who are being easily misled with disinformation and misinformation. Imagine what would happen in this country if we were informed voters, then our elections would turn out differently because we wouldn’t be swayed by the snake oil salesmen on the bully pulpits.