Is rap music the key to stopping war?

Many political rappers have expressed against the war, either publicly or in their lyrics. Political rap has an important role to play. It offers people a real criticism of the government’s policy. An engaged rapper is a fighter and a social commentator.

Many rappers have raised their voices against President Bush’s war policy in America. Saul Williams words “ Not In Our Names” are here to touch people’s consciousness.

In one of his latest song, Michael Franti from the group “Spearhead” says:

“You can bomb the world to pieces, but you can’t bomb it into peace.”

Which is so true.

Many people in America are getting tired of Bush’s worthless war policy. How many young lives have been sacrificed for the Iraqui war ?
Political rap offers us a real criticism of war. Eminem’s “Square Dance” starts a reflection on the consequences of Bush’s policy: terrorism.

The group Public Enemy has always expressed a real resistance against Bush. In their song, “Son Of A Bush”, Chuck D expresses his protest against the Bush policy:

“Don’t look at me / I ain’t callin for no assassination
I’m just sayin, sayin / Who voted for that asshole of your nation?
/ Deja Bush, crushed by the headrush, when I wrote the bumrush …
Ain’t that a Bush / son of a Bush is here all up in yo zone … can’t truss em / as you salute to the illuminati / Y’know what? Take yo ass to your one millionth party!”

The message is clear. It’s a strong wake up call. Stop assassinating people!

About the war policy, Run DMC said:

“Our government needs to mind their business. We try to force our help [on others] when we should focus on fixing the problems here first. I don’t think we have the right to go over there and tell them what to do. Would we want someone telling us what to do?”

According to Fat Joe, the conflict between Bush and Saddam Hussein is much more something personal that started with Bush’s father:

“It’s all over oil. The president comes from an oil-driven family, [and Saddam Hussein] is the same guy who [his father] tried to kill when he was president. We entrust our president to not be biased and… not [have] personal beef. I think this is personal beef.”

This is Ice T’s point of view about mandatory military service:

“I think the mandatory draft is the closest thing you can come to slavery. Being able to tell somebody they gotta do something and potentionally die, that’s scary to me.”

P. Diddy clearly spoke out against war in 2003:

“I was told that while I was onstage the war started. I’m definitely pro-peace, I’m anti-war. I’ve been praying that this day wouldn’t happen.
“I’m against the way this situation has gone down. My prayers go out to all the innocent lives that are going to be lost in Iraq.
“We have it good. Nobody’s invading America. They’re not blowing up everything around us. We can’t imagine what these people and children are going through. It seems that everything that could have been done was not done to try and avoid this war.”

“We have a role and responsibility to speak out. We’re all entitled to our opinions. Whatever we can do to make things better, we should — even if it’s just speaking through our music.”

P. Diddy and many other entertainers are very conscious of their role. Rap music is not only there to untertain you. It has also a serious informative and protestative mission.
Many people are getting sick of the world’s worthless and arrogant leaders.
Music is here to touch people and to also make them realize what is wrong in a world that has gone totally mad.