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Though there are exceptions to everything in life, I've found that the average American falls into one of two very distinct camps when it comes to their thoughts on the justice system: there are those who see the police as a largely benevolent group and who tend to bristle at criticism directed towards them, and then there are those who have had any sort of substantial interaction with the police. Whether it is a cause or a symptom of the divide, it is worth noting that there seems to be a significant racial (or perhaps more accurately, socio-economic) divide between the two groups of thought. Perhaps that is why hip hop through the years has been far more vocal in its criticism of The Law than the mainstream media, two groups that, at least until recently, have found themselves relatively far apart on the socio-economic spectrum.
From Ice Cube's prediction of the L.A. Riots to more recent responses to police brutality, hip hop has a far better record than the media at large when it comes to shedding light on police abuse. The scales have begun to slowly balance out in recent years as hip hop has gone increasingly mainstream while the power of the internet has allowed independent journalists, untethered to large corporations with a significant stake in maintaining the legal system's current status quo, to find larger audiences, but it's unlikely that we'll see an iReport on CNN any time soon that offers up anywhere near the level of insight that songs like Fuck tha Police and Sound of Da Police produced.
In any event, if you've ever been on the receiving end of an unwarranted (literally) stop and frisk from an officer (that, it's worth noting, has likely been hand-picked for having a relatively low IQ and unwillingness to question orders, but I digress), or worse, than you'll likely be able to relate to Bless 1's tale of cop-induced rage. Yes, Bless' fantasy of revenge is violent, but in this post-Oscar Grant/Amadou Diallo/Sean Bell age it's hardly surprising. Check it out:
Bless 1 - Bags In My Hand (right-click to d/l)
Bless 1 has an upcoming instrumental album coming out soon, which we'll have more details on once it drops. From the couple of songs I've heard so far, it's likely going to surpass his outstanding work on the Digital Invaders album from a few years ago.
Previously from Bless 1:
A Man's World
Starving Artist
The End
For The Kids
Never Give Up
10/25/2012 6:30:00 PM posted by Fresh