Pure Punk Picks
No Lives Matter – Body Count
Ice T- “It’s unfortunate that we have to say, “Black Lives Matter”, I mean, if you go through History nobody ever gave a fuck. I mean you can kill black people in the street, nobody goes to jail, nobody goes to prison. But when I say, “Black Lives Matter” and you say, “All Lives Matter”, that’s like I was to say, “Gay Lives Matter” and you say “All Lives Matter.”
If I said, “Women’s Lives Matter” and you say, “All Lives Matter”- you’re diluting the issue. The issue isn’t about everybody. It’s about black lives at the moment. But the truth of the moment is, they don’t really give a fuck about anybody. If you break this shit all the way down, to the low fucking dirty-ass truth.”
If you’re in the majority, and you’re within the power. If you’re a white, heterosexual male like myself. You don’t get to say, “What about me?” You don’t get to ask about the rights you’ve always been given. You do need to say, “What about them? What about the LGBT folks, what about the women, what about the minorities? Why do I have rights I take for granted but are not given to many?”
The music of this song is a mix of metal and rap and possibly, hardcore. To me it sounds like Public Enemy, NWA and Rage Against The Machine all rolled into one.
The music being so hard and raw and the lyrics being so real and true- Well, that’s my definition of punk, right there.
“But honestly it ain’t just black. It’s yellow, it’s brown, it’s red. It’s anyone who ain’t got cash. Poor whites that they call trash. They can’t fuck with us once they realize we’re all on the same side…But now we gotta change all that. Right now, it’s them against us…When it comes to the poor, no lives matter.”
The atrocities emanating from our government, especially during the last few years is despicable, including their response to blacks being murdered by police. I’ve only wondered how long before the youth of America would take to the streets. I don’t have to wonder about that anymore.
Young people need to stand shoulder to shoulder and realize- it’s the old, gray, white ones who are trying to steal and corrupt your future.
Disclaimer: During the eighties I worked as a musician in a band where two of the members were Boston cops. As a security guard now, I worked a site a few years ago, where I worked side by side, with Boston cops that all seemed professional and well-trained.
But I’ve had to ask myself- Why do so many of my young, intelligent, punk friends have such a low opinion of the police while I have such a high opinion of my young, punk community?
I would just caution, don’t forget that the cops are working class men and women, that the powers that be- dangle cash in front of to do their dirty work, don’t forget where this evilness stems from- the ruling class, the rich.
I would like to write more about how great the music is in this song, but with the times as they are now- just doesn’t seem right to me.
And I’d like to write about music without politics being involved but the time for that is not now.
This is a great song but the situations, the emotions surrounding this, calls for something different to take place in our society.
The friend I’ve had for the longest time is a black man. I’ve known him since 1974. He is probably the sweetest, gentlest fellow I’ve known.
We first knew each other as co-workers, then bandmates and finally good friends and drinking buddies.
In the mid eighties we were once drinking at Jonathan’s Swifts in Harvard Square. We did that every Saturday afternoon. In Boston, at the time, it was like a demilitarized like zone that blacks and whites could mix without repercussions. A neutral zone that we could meet and hang out.
I said to him once, during that time- “Yeah, I understand how hard it is to be black. I know what a black person goes through.” He said, “No, you don’t.” And I was surprised when he was adamant about it, and wouldn’t back down from his statement.
But eventually, I realized- he was right, it was an ignorant remark on my part.
I said I wished I could write more about the music of this song. But I can tell you what songs I am thinking of while writing this essay.
I’m thinking of James Brown’s “Say It Loud (I’m Black And I’m Proud). I’m thinking of Public Enemy’s “Fight The Power”, too. I’m thinking of Bob Marley’s “Stand Up, Get Up (For Your Rights) and yeah, NWA’s “Fuck The Police.” And maybe even, The Dead Kennedy’s “Police Truck.”
Someone made a meme that said- you could look at this year as the most terrible year of your life, or looking back you could see that this is when change really started, that this is when our society, our lives moved towards a better way.
I’ll place my hopes, bets and wishes on the latter.
(Slimedog)
