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Fuck tha Police

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Fuck tha Police (released 1989 as a exclusive song for the 1989 uncensored version of the album) is a song by the controversial hip hop group N.W.A on the album Straight Outta Compton. It ranked #417 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and is the group's only song on the list.

Content

Fuck tha Police is a mock court scene, in which the "Police Department" is put on trial, with Ice Cube, MC Ren, and Eazy-E playing the role of the prosecution. Judge "Dre" is presiding and the trial is described as being "N.W.A versus the police department". Rapped "testimonies" expressing anger at racism and police brutality in abrasive, violent language are delivered by Ice Cube:

Fuck tha police, coming straight from the underground

A young nigga got it bad 'cause I'm brown

And not the other color, so police think

They have the authority to kill a minority

MC Ren:

Lights start flashing behind me

But they're scared of a nigga so they mace me to blind me

But that shit don't work, I just laugh

Because it gives 'em a hint not to step in my path

and Eazy-E:

Without a gun and a badge, what do you got?

A sucker in a uniform waiting to get shot,

By me, or another nigga

And with a Gat it don't matter if he's smaller or bigger

At the end of the song, "Judge Dre" delivers the verdict: "the jury has found you guilty of being a redneck, white bread, chickenshit muthafucker." —"You" here referring to a police officer who represents the LAPD. The police officer's reaction is: "But wait, that's a lie! That's a god damn lie! I want justice! I want justice! Fuck you, you black motherfuckers!" as he is apparently dragged out of the courtroom.

The song was completely removed from the clean version of the record.

Impact

The song Fuck tha Police, containing N.W.A's trademark inflammatory lyrics, stood out in particular from many of the songs on Straight Outta Compton. It highlights many of the tensions between black urban youth and the police - especially in South Central Los Angeles, where the rap group was based. (Widespread resentment towards the LAPD boiled over 3 years later, in the 1992 Los Angeles riots following the Rodney King incident.) The song also alleged that minorities in the police department betrayed their race, with lyrics such as-

And on the other hand, without a gun they can't get none

But don't let it be a black and a white one

Cause they'll slam ya down to the street top

Black police showin out for the white cop

Of particular concern were the areas of the song that appear to condone violence towards police authorities; lines such as "I'm a sniper with a hell of a scope/Taking out a cop or two, they can't cope/with me" and "A sucka in a uniform waitin' to get shot/by me, or anotha nigga" directly reference the murder of police officers. The FBI sent a letter to Ruthless Records informing the label of their displeasure with the song's message, and N.W.A were banned from performing at several venues. The FBI also ordered N.W.A never to perform the song again. Then, in June 1989, they were arrested after a live performance of the song in Detroit.

Whether or not the actual message of the song was taken seriously by listeners, Fuck tha Police was an important representation of the attitudes of many inner-city blacks, albeit a highly controversial one.

This song has proven popular enough to be covered by such acts as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Rage Against The Machine, dope, Public Enemy, Soulfly and others.

To no surprise, this song was included on N.W.A's Greatest Hits

Music sample

[Fuck Tha Police, by N.W.A] ([file info])
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* Problems listening to the file? See [Media helpmedia help].

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