Referring to police brutality, gender and racial inequity, and most decidedly, the shortcomings of capitalism, The Coup aims to stir up an unforgettable, political earworm for listeners to act out against these intersecting societal injustices.
As Southern hip hop rose to popularity nationwide, it refused to simply concede to the overbearing assumptions of non-Southern listeners who attempted to consider all Southern rap as a single genre.
From the perspective of those who call Compton home, however, references to the city’s politics and folklore begin to blur the lines of ‘realness’ and myth.
Through this “double-consciousness,” hip hop artists have learned to place a foot in both doors of white capitalism and black realism, so they can continue to profit and become successful in America against all racial odds.