The New Danger
Focus
Yasiin Bey (Mos Def)
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
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End
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Internal
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Multi
708
Slant
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Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
— Kendrick Lamar✦ and Ab-Soul: “Blame Reagan”✦
— Brother✦ Ali✦ puts it bluntly: “Motherfuck✦ Reagan.”✦
— The opening✦ scenes✦ of 1991’s Boyz n the Hood (Ice Cube’s✦ acting✦ debut)✦ feature a Reagan/Bush reelection✦ poster✦ shot through ignominiously✦ with bullet✦ holes✦ like a wild west “Wanted”✦ poster.✦ Peep how Tre’s friend stops to offer✦ a personal “fuck you” to the president✦
The Reagan✦ Cartel✦
Most of the Hip Hop critique✦ of Reagan✦ emerges out of the Iran-Contra✦ Affair.✦ The first Jay-Z line above✦ continues, “I blame Oliver✦ North and Iran-Contra.”✦ Hov is referring✦ to a web of shady-as-fuck activity✦ in which Reagan’s✦ administration✦ ultimately✦ facilitated✦ the sale of tons of cocaine✦ into✦ the US inner-city✦ at the height of the crack epidemic.✦ A Los Angeles✦ cocaine✦ trafficker by the name of “Freeway” Ricky✦ Ross (sound familiar?) served✦ as one of the main conduits through which cheap cocaine✦ flooded the hood. Ross is said to have developed a distribution✦ chain spanning all the way to the East Coast. In the end, the operations✦ stretched from Colombia✦ to Panama✦ and Honduras✦ to Miami✦ and throughout✦ the United✦ States.✦ Honduras’✦ General✦ Jose Bueso-Rosa—known by the US Government✦ to head “the most significant✦ case of narcoterrorism yet discovered”—was contracted and protected✦ by Reagan’s✦ point man Oliver✦ North, as well as Panamanian✦ President✦ Manuel✦ Noriega✦ (the real Noriega),✦ then known to be a significant✦ player in Pablo✦ Escobar’s Medellín Cartel.✦ Though of course not entirely✦ due to the Reagan✦ administration’s✦ assistance,✦ the kilo✦ price fell dramatically✦ from $60,000 to a mere $9,000 during✦ the Reagan✦ Era,✦ due to the fantastic increase in supply✦ from Central✦ and South America✦
So, when Kanye says, “Reagan✦ cooked✦ up an answer,”✦ Jay-Z says “Ronald Reagan✦ got Manhattan the blow,” or Brother✦ Ali✦ says, “I never✦ sold base, motherfuck✦ Reagan,”,✦ they’re all referring✦ to the Reagan✦ team’s movement✦ of cocaine✦ into✦ the hood
But why would Reagan’s✦ administration✦ do something as risky✦ as facilitating✦ a massive cocaine✦ trafficking✦ operation?✦ Why would Reagan’s✦ clique do that to American✦ citizens,✦ especially✦ with the incipient✦ crack epidemic✦ ravaging the inner-city?✦ Some have argued✦ that the project was a sort of psychological✦ and chemical✦ warfare✦ deployed to neutralize and weaken✦ the hood and ward off urban✦ rebellion.✦ A decade✦ before,✦ the FBI, through its COINTELPRO✦ operation,✦ had prosecuted✦ a virtual war against✦ the Black Panthers and other✦ civil rights groups, imprisoning and assassinating✦ a number✦ of freedom fighters and forcing others✦ into✦ exile.✦ But while it is certainly believable that the FBI maintained✦ an underground✦ COINTELPRO-type operation✦ after✦ the 1960s—Panther Mumia✦ Abu✦ Jamal✦ was apprehended✦ by the State in 1981, long after✦ COINTELPRO✦ was forced✦ to be shut down—it✦ is doubtful that Reagan’s✦ cocaine✦ operation✦ was expressly intended✦ to continue✦ that war on Black America.✦ What is much more likely✦ is that Reagan✦ and his team simply✦ didn’t give a shit about✦ who would be harmed.✦ Those affected✦ by the crack epidemic✦ were merely✦ collateral✦ damage✦ in a larger✦ war being fought, the pursuit of a global✦ corporate✦ empire✦
“Contras,✦ the Shah and the CIA”
The cocaine✦ trafficking✦ was to fund an illegal✦ war being prosecuted✦ by the Reagan✦ administration✦ in Nicaragua,✦ highlighted in the song “Watchout”,✦ by Immortal Technique.✦ That’s where the Contras✦ come in. An illegal,✦ undercover arms trade to Iran✦ partially✦ funded✦ the Contras,✦ and cocaine✦ trafficking✦ provided the rest: narcotrafficking✦ and gun running. The Contra✦ army✦ was an illegal✦ force put together by factions✦ in the the CIA, the Pentagon and the White House to combat✦ a growing✦ revolutionary✦ movement✦ in Central✦ America.✦ For decades (or centuries,✦ really),✦ Central✦ and South America✦ was effectively✦ a plantation✦ for the United✦ States.✦ Before✦ there was China✦ to provide✦ cheap, neo-slave labor,✦ there was Latin✦ America.✦ Entire✦ countries✦ were effectively✦ bought by corporations✦ from the North. That’s where the term “banana✦ republic” comes✦ from, from corporations✦ essentially✦ buying entire✦ countries✦ to essentially✦ operate✦ like vast plantations,✦ often✦ with a Washington-installed✦ and backed✦ “president”✦ as the overseer. A quick Wikipedia✦ search for “Jacobo✦ Arbenz” or “Salvator Allende” will illustrate✦ the sort of thing that was going on throughout✦ the entire✦ late 20th century. Politicians in Washington—especially✦ those most loyal to the big corporations—became used✦ to effectively✦ choosing which leaders would run Latin✦ America.✦ Just a year before✦ the election✦ putting Reagan✦ in the White House, Nicaragua’s Sandinista rebellion✦ kicked✦ out Washington’s overseer—the four-decade long Somoza✦ regime—with a promise to pursue a new Nicaragua✦ which benefited all of its citizens,✦ not just the wealthy✦ capitalist✦ friends of Washington✦
While the Sandinistas were considerably imperfect, they represented✦ an incipient✦ global✦ revolution✦ against✦ a growing✦ formation✦ called✦ the Washington✦ Consensus, a world order✦ governed by a wealthy✦ corporate✦ elite.✦ Reagan✦ represented✦ a sort of global✦ revolution,✦ too—one of the corporations✦ and banks against✦ the globe’s✦ people. The sort of economy that the Occupy✦ movement✦ fights against✦ was just beginning to be built by Reagan,✦ being tested✦ in Latin✦ American✦ countries.✦ Necessary✦ to the economic✦ experimentation✦ by the elite✦ were things like the Contra✦ War, its narco-funding and the resulting crisis✦ in the American✦ inner-city.✦ The inner-city✦ was paying the price of this new world order✦ long before✦ the contemporary✦ effects—foreclosures, Wall Street crises,✦ unemployment, etc.—beset the wider✦ population✦
Morning in America✦
Simultaneously,✦ Reagan’s✦ domestic✦ policy✦ agenda✦ was a form of that which was being imposed on Latin✦ America:✦ lower✦ and lower✦ taxes✦ on the wealthy✦ and less and less government✦ services for the poor and working-class.✦ Reagan’s✦ domestic✦ policy✦ agenda✦ was driven✦ by a fundamental ideological✦ principle: the wealthy✦ elite✦ were not being taken✦ care of and that was the reason✦ for any✦ and all economic✦ ills. Alternately✦ called✦ “supply-side”✦ or “trickle-down”✦ economics, the theory✦ was that benefits given✦ to the wealthy✦ and corporations✦ would trickle down to the rest of us. Comedian✦ D.L. Hughley explains what “trickle-down”✦ looked✦ like to a young Black male in inner-city✦ Los Angeles:✦
All the social✦ programs…were✦ cut as a result of Reagan✦ coming✦ into✦ office✦ and greed just became✦ a hobby.✦ He was kind of the Moses✦ of leading them to feeling good about✦ being greedy✦ white men
One of Reagan’s✦ first accomplishments was to assault the tax code in favor✦ of the elite.✦ Upper✦ marginal rates✦ had been no lower✦ than 70% (and often✦ in the 80-90% range) since the 1940s. It was 70% the day Reagan✦ entered✦ the White House; by his second term it was 28%. Not surprisingly, there was suddenly less money✦ for the programs✦ that kept the least fortunate✦ Americans✦ hanging on. Social✦ programs✦ were cut drastically✦ to make up for the wealthy’s tax cuts. Reagan✦ justified these draconian✦ cuts in social✦ programs✦ by creating✦ in the minds of affluent, (mostly)✦ white Americans✦ the specter of the “welfare✦ queen.” Reagan✦ fooled✦ voters✦ into✦ believing that social✦ programs✦ like AFDC welfare,✦ food stamps and job training✦ were making✦ life too easy✦ on inner-city✦ families✦
The story✦ told by Hip Hop ran entirely✦ counter to that of Reagan.✦ Emerging out of the South Bronx (pictured below),✦ rap music✦ announced to anyone✦ with a record player that things were not as Mr. Reagan✦ said. “Hip Hop has always✦ been political,”✦ reminds Hip Hop journalist✦ and Bronx-born Davey✦ D. Grandmaster✦ Flash and the Furious Five’s✦ 1982 classic “The Message” explained✦ to everyone who was listening✦ that things were getting worse in the hood. Even✦ Kurtis✦ Blow’s 1980 seeming party✦ joint “The Breaks” was about✦ economic✦ hardship. Run-DMC led off their 1984 debut✦ album with “Hard Times,”✦ a song about✦ poverty in the 80s
Rappers✦ who grew up during✦ Reagan’s✦ 80s—Jay-Z, 2pac, Biggie, Ice Cube and NWA, Scarface✦ and Geto✦ Boys, and others—offer rich insight into✦ precisely✦ how the new urban✦ neglect affected✦ families✦ and communities.✦ NWA’s Eazy✦ E called✦ rappers✦ “underground✦ reporters,” who were telling a story✦ quite different from the evening✦ news, which whitewashed Reagan’s✦ damage.✦ Rap listeners✦ far from those struggles received stories✦ from the front lines✦ of Reagan’s✦ America.✦ “Little Amy✦ told Becky,✦ Becky✦ told Jenny✦ / And now they all know the skinny.”✦ Rap listeners✦ knew what the major✦ media✦ establishment was still sleeping on: Reagan✦ had been a disaster.✦ “Trickle-down”✦ had not worked.✦ “Things done changed,” warned✦ Biggie, who was 8 years old at Reagan’s✦ inauguration.✦ And he was right. The unrestrained✦ capitalism ushered✦ in by Reagan✦ was sending US jobs overseas to Central✦ America✦ and elsewhere.✦ Reagan’s✦ cocaine✦ had contributed✦ to a full-blown crisis,✦ which was now the pretext to send millions✦ to prison.✦ The so-called✦ “welfare✦ queens,” by which Reagan✦ meant women✦ like Gloria✦ Carter,✦ Afeni✦ Shakur and Voletta Wallace,✦ struggled in the increasing hopelessness of a country with fewer✦ economic✦ prospects and less in the way of assistance✦ for those struggling. Reagan✦ had succeeded only✦ in enriching the wealth and power✦ of the elite,✦ and it had been at the expense of the poor and working-class,✦ especially✦ young Black Americans✦
Now a new generation✦ of rappers✦ continue✦ the rebuke✦ of Reagan✦ and the ideology he represents. Joining✦ them is the Occupy✦ movement,✦ which is nothing if not a protest of the 30+ years of continued Reaganism. Rap has become✦ the music✦ of resistance✦ in the US and across✦ the globe, and the alliance✦ of Occupy✦ Wall Street and Hip Hop is proving to be a potent✦ force. Jay-Z, Lupe Fiasco,✦ Talib Kweli,✦ Bun B, Russell Simmons and others✦ lent their voices✦ to the movement,✦ with Lupe’s✦ Friend of the People mixtape being essentially✦ dedicated✦ to Occupy.✦ “New gang alert,” Lupe warns. The Age of Reagan✦ might finally✦ be nearing its end
Technical Breakdown
7.5
Multisyllabic Rhymes9.5
Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)
Internal Rhymes9.5
Rhymes within a line (data-driven)
Wordplay / Double Entendres0.0
Clever language, metaphors, punchlines
Cadence / Rhythm5.5
Flow variation and timing (data-driven)
Vocabulary Complexity8.5
Range and depth of words used (data-driven)
Delivery / Breath Control0.0
Performance and control
Computed Score7.51
Production
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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
The provided text is an analytical prose essay discussing the intersection of Reagan-era policy, Hip Hop culture, and socioeconomic impacts; it does not contain lyrics from Yasiin Bey's 'Focus'.
B+
9.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
5.5
Cadence / Flow
8.5
Vocabulary
0
Wordplay
0
Delivery
Rhyme Architecture: None provided.
Extensive historical research
Strong contextualization of Hip Hop as socio-political reportage
Coherent logical progression
Text is non-lyrical
No poetic metrics present to analyze
Missing the specific subject matter requested