The government pimped 9/11 to go to Iraq,
And history repeats itself right on track. (How?)
First as a tragedy, and then the comedy begins. (Why?)
Cause it’s funny, motherfuckers don’t see it come around again.

Immortal Technique, “Reverse Pimpology,” The 3rd World, 2008. More from Immortal Technique >

The military ain’t there for the people’s protection,
They’re just there to protect an investment.
That’s why people get arrested, electrocuted, molested,
Connected streets are infested with those tired of protesting.
Traumatized children grown in guerrilla garrisons,
9/11 generations pale in comparison.
And you will learn a lesson repeated through history:
That no matter what you think, occupation is not victory.

Immortal Technique, “Angels & Demons,” The Martyr, 2011. More from Immortal Technique >

My motto is: the bigger they are, the more politics involved,
And I revolve at a rate to make your occipital skull plate dissolve.
Techniques delve deep, soooo…don’t sleep, ock, I rock phonics
That got you holdin my dick like your name was Lorena Bobbit.

Ras Kass, “Remain Anonymous,” 12", 1994. More Ras Kass quotes.

Life is like a box of chocolates, you fill your body with toxins,
And amoxicillin and penicillin to cure your illness.
But in realness? These medical companies will get you monthly
Prescribing me pills that make me ill, just to comfort me.

Termanology, “100 More Jewelz,” G.O.Y.A. (Gunz Or Yay Available), 2013

We live in a society created by an empire
That’s based on terror…welcome to the One World Era,
A complete interruption to your lil’ paltry-ass life,
That you thought you was livin, and what you been given.

Coolio, “The Park, from Slam The Soundtrack, 1998

Though the meek shall inherit the earth, but don’t forget:
The poor are the ones who inherit the debt.

Posdnuos, “The Grind Date,” from De La Soul’s The Grind Date, 2004

CIA, FBI, all they tell us is lies.
And when I say it, they get alarmed…
‘Cause I’m louder than a bomb.

Chuck D., “Louder Than a Bomb,” from Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, 1988

Cloned chickens walking around without heads,
The food is contaminated, the water got lead in it.
Population control, make the babies sick,
All these RFID chips, RU-486…
This is a war against consciousness,
Controlling your soul, sort of a psychological dictatorship.
And we are on the front lines,
Guilty as charged if intellect is a crime.

Pharoahe Monch, “W.A.R.,” W.A.R. (We Are Renegades), 2011

Take a look at the police and how they treat you,
Take a look at these corporations that cheat you.
Democrats and Republicans are all see-through.
Now we votin for the lesser of two evils…
Man, don’t let ‘em deceive you.
This is an autocracy, not a democracy,
But to call this a democracy without mock interest
In the laws of society? That’s called hypocrisy.

KRS-One, “Pick It Up,” Maximum Strength, 2008

If you’re having world problems, I feel bad for you son,
I got 99 problems, but a Mitt ain’t one.

Jay-Z, “99 Problems,” from Barack Obama campaign rally in Columbus, Ohio, 2012. Voter Info (Google)

You’re a trivial part in a trivia game.
Now what’s your aim? A presidential campaign?
Like Ross Perot? He lost it though…
But he got a billion in tha bank fo’ sho’!

Aceyalone, “All Balls Don’t Bounce,” from All Balls Don’t Bounce, 1995

These niggaz ain’t thugs, the real thugs is the government.
Don’t matter if you Independent, Democrat or Republican,
Niggaz politickin’ the street, get into beef,
Start blastin’…now a new cat is executive chief.

Talib Kweli, “Ghetto Afterlife,” from Reflection Eternal’s Train of Thought, 2000

Wouldn’t it be nice if life was sort of like a dream,
And everything wasn’t really what it seemed?
What if everything you ever wished for was in reach,
And you could learn everything your school didn’t teach?
Wouldn’t it be nice if the banks didn’t fuck up the loans,
And people ain’t have to move out they homes?
With no GM or AIG…and for that matter no cancer or A-I-D?

Bun B, “So Close, So Far,” from Statik Selektah’s 100 Proof (The Hangover), 2010

Type to tote the glock and use gats…
You the type to vote Barack cause dude’s black.

Sean P, “Grown Man Palettes,” from Meyhem Lauren’s Respect The Fly Shit, 2012

Hood forever, I just act like I’m civilized.
Really what’s in my mind is organizing a billion Black motherfuckers
To take over JP Morgan, Goldman and Sachs
And teach the world facts and give Saudi they oil back.

Nas, “No Introduction,” Life is Good, 2012

Ronald Reagan was an actor. Not at all a factor,
Just an employee of the country’s real masters.
Just like the Bushes, Clinton and Obama,
Just another talkin’ head tellin’ lies on teleprompters.
If you don’t believe the theory, then argue with this logic:
Why did Reagan and Obama both go after Gaddafi?
We invaded sovereign soil, goin’ after oil
Takin’ countries as a hobby paid for by the oil lobby,
Same as Iraq and Afghanistan.
And Ahmadinejad sayin’ they comin’ for Iran…

Killer Mike, “Reagan,” R.A.P. Music, 2012

We brag on havin’ bread, but none of us are bakers.
We all talk havin’ greens, but none of us on acres.
If none of us on acres, and none of us grow wheat,
Then who will feed our people when our people need to eat?
So it seems our people starve from lack of understandin’
Cause all we seem to give them is some ballin’ and some dancin’,
And some talkin’ about our car and imaginary mansions.
We should be indicted for bullshit we inciting,
Havin’ children deaf and pretendin’ it’s exciting.
We are advertisements for agony and pain.
We exploit the youth. We tell them to join a gang.
We tell them dope stories, introduced them to the game.

Killer Mike, “Reagan,” R.A.P. Music, 2012

I am to hip-hop what Obama is to politics

Common, “Sweet,” The Dreamer, The Believer, 2011

I got a letter from the government the other day
I opened and read it…it said they were suckers.

Chuck D., “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos,” from Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, 1988

You know it’s funny, when it rains it pours,
They got money for wars, but can’t feed the poor.

2Pac, “Keep Ya Head Up,” Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., 1993 

If you turn on TV, all you see’s a bunch of ‘what the fucks.’
‘Dude is dating so and so,’ blabberin about ‘such and such.’
And that ain’t Jersey Shore, homie that’s the news.
And these the same people supposedly tellin us the truth.
Limbaugh is a racist, Glenn Beck is a racist
Gaza Strip was gettin bombed, Obama didn’t say shit.
That’s why I ain’t vote for him, next one either,
I’m a part of the problem, my problem is I’m peaceful
And I believe in the people.

Lupe Fiasco, “Words I Never Said,” Lasers, 2011

Be grateful for blessings,
Don’t ever change, keep your essence.
The power is in the people and politics we address.

2Pac, “Me Against the World,” Me Against the World, 1995

Gun pop off like the mouth of Ann Coulter…

Crooked I, “Lick Shots”, from Immortal Technique and DJ Green Lantern’s The 3rd World, 2008

Dead Prez • “Hell Yeah (Pimp the System)” • 2004

I’m not the one to kiss ass for the top position,
I take mine off the top like a politician.
Where I’m from, doin dirt is a part of livin…
I got mouths to feed, I gots to get it.

– Dead Prez, “Hell Yeah (Pimp the System),” RBG: Revolutionary But Gangsta, 2004

Common • “Letter to the Free” • 2016

We staring in the face of hate again…
The same hate they say will “Make America Great Again.”
No consolation prize for the dehumanized,
For America to rise, it’s a matter of Black Lives.

– Common, “Letter to the Free,” Black America Again, 2016

Snoop Dogg • “Revolution” • 2016

Huey, Malcolm and Martin, those are my peers,
They been doin’ niggas like this for over hundreds of years.
Poppin’ us, fear, now it’s time for us to clap back,
But this time we gon’ bust…step the fuck back.

– Snoop Dogg, “Revolution,” COOLAID, 2016

Eminem • “Campaign Song” • 2016

You say Trump don’t kiss ass like a puppet?
‘Cause he runs his campaign with his own cash for the fundin’?
And that’s what you wanted:
A fuckin’ loose cannon who’s blunt with his hand on the button
Who doesn’t have to answer to no one? Great idea!

– Eminem, “Campaign Speech,” 2016

They say the richest 400 Americans make more
Than the other 180 million combined,
And if that sounds fair, then you’re out of your mind.
So fuck a Republican, I’m out on my grind,
Cause being poor, being black, and Latino’s a crime.
That’s why we use the underworld to survive,
And I hate to admit I connive, but I’m alive cause I strive.
Make a dollar out a nickel and dime
I’m a hustler, I’m a hustler…
I could sell pussy to prostitutes, you a customer.

Ras Kass, “Stone Cold Hustler,” from Semi Hendrix’s Breakfast at Banksy’s, 2015. More from Ras Kass…