Milestones: Let’s Get Free by dead prez
dead prez followed Public Enemy’s blueprint with political hip-hop and released a spectacular debut album that reminds us to be the change we want to see.
We will start things randomly like this: Ye is a phenomenal businessman. He has to be—after all, who else can sell a simple white T-shirt for 130 dollars? In its own way, and on some meta-level, that’s already a remarkable work of art.
Of all people, this individual, who thinks in such a capitalist and bigger-than-life way, was involved in Dead Prez’s album Let’s Get Free: a radical rap album opposing co-optation and championing idealism. As part of the “Peoples Army” collective, his contribution to Let’s Get Free was limited to a laid-back remix of the hard-hitting track “Hip Hop.” Still, there’s a certain irony in the fact that his star rose in this very environment some 20 years ago.
One thing Let’s Get Free is most definitely not is ironic. Like Mos Def—who shortly before had released his exceptional album Black On Both Sides—MCs stic.man and M-1 grew up in think tanks focused on Pan-African culture and socialism. Bling-bling and fur coats were certainly not what drove them to hip-hop. M-1 later said in an interview that he only became an MC to spread calls for uprising. But what good is all of that if the message barely gets heard and there aren’t enough people to push for systemic change?
While still at university, rapper M-1 founded the “Black Survival Movement,” quickly linking him to other political organizations. Before the first beat was even made, the idea of revolution was already there. But the spark that ignited this highly explosive mindset only flared to life after moving from California to New York in the mid-’90s, where a raw East Coast sound was emerging around Wu-Tang Clan and Mobb Deep.
Working with producers Hedrush and Brand Nubian proved particularly fruitful, giving rise—even with a clenched fist—to smooth and relaxed tracks like “Mind Sex.” Unlike other R&B songs of the genre, which usually celebrate quick male gratification, this mellow tune appeals to reason: “Before we make love, let’s have a good conversation.” The idea towers above cravings for fast, casual sex and easy distraction.
One day, stic.man was experimenting with ideas on his sampling keyboard again. Though the sexism of 2 Live Crew was foreign to him, the bass-heavy sound he grew up with served as inspiration for the most important track in Dead Prez’s career. At some point, tinkering with the keyboard settings produced the killer bassline that still makes “Hip Hop” an absolute signature song for the duo. Everyone knew right then that something magical had sprung up from nowhere—and it changed everything.
“It’s bigger than Hip Hop,” stammers stic.man at that moment, already setting out the core idea for the lyrics: an anthem for a young Black generation that will no longer settle for constant oppression.
Completely ahead of its time, and still subcultural back then, is the message in “Be Healthy.” While contemporary rap videos were busy celebrating hood barbecues or expensive premium vodka, this track promotes a vegan diet. These days, countless celebrities have adopted meat-free eating as a lifestyle trend, but around the turn of the millennium, people were puzzled when stic.man and M-1 handed out fruit to the crowd.
Don’t stuff your most important weapon full of weed and alcohol; don’t just hang around—be proactive. It may sound a bit like a straight-edge mantra, but the quiet Spanish guitar track simply wants to get you thinking. “They say you are what you eat, so I strive to be healthy/My goal in life is not to be rich or wealthy/ ’Cause true wealth comes from good health, and wise ways/We got to start taking better care of ourselves.” At the end of “Be Healthy,” none other than Prodigy steps up to the mic, parodying his stoned “Infamous Prelude” from The Infamous Mobb Deep. A dash of humor was allowed, even in class warfare.
The enemy, nonetheless, remains the “Police State.” Over a massive, oppressive beat that fully embodies the rough East Coast vibe of New York, the founder of Uhuru speaks about the police as protectors of the ruling class and a tool of oppression against the underprivileged. Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” nearly seven years ago underscored how little progress has been made since “Police State.” A similar track, “Behind Enemy Lines,” points to the fate of Black Panther activist Fred Hampton Jr., whose father was shot by police.
Like a cult film, Let’s Get Free was no commercial success despite its popular single “Hip Hop.” Its messages were too radical for the mainstream and gained little traction in a pop-rap world dominated by Puff Daddy and Master P, whose chart-optimized party anthems quickly lost relevance and merely fueled their own businesses. stic.man and M-1 wanted to create something that would expand the existing hip-hop mindset. Let’s Get Free may have had few buyers, but it changed the thinking of those few more radically than any other album at that time. Be the change you want to see.
Standout (★★★★½)