What Is Dead Prez

dead prez: Raising the Roof and Black Consciousness
Throughout America’s history, a stream of voices has given shape to the African American experience. Whether through academic discourse, personal narrative, poetry, song, fiction, or satire, African American literature demonstrates the responses of African Americans to the social, political, and economic environments of their era. Countless writers have contributed unique, even contradictory ideas to this ongoing discussion, highlighting the diversity of the African American experience and the need for continued discourse. One such voice today is heard in political hip-hop duo Dead Prez (stylized as dead prez), whose debut album Let’s Get Free builds on the ideas of prominent black thinkers
Having already established the need for liberation, many of the remaining songs come in the form of suggestions by dead prez on steps to be taken towards this end. In “Mind Sex,” dead prez offers an alternative to the misogynistic view of women perpetuated in mainstream hip hop. Rather than viewing women merely as sexual objects, “Mind Sex” asserts that true beauty resides in intellectual and emotional attraction and that men should form an appreciation for women as a whole person before pursuing sex. The first verse highlights this idea, saying “See, I aint got to get in your blouse/ It’s your eye contact that be getting me aroused/ When you show me your mind, it make me wanna show you mine” followed by “for me, boo, makin love is just as much mental/ I like to know what I’m getting into.” Although this song may seem disconnected from the no-holds-barred approach of previous songs, the argument presented here by dead prez demonstrates their commitment to the complete cultural liberation of the African American community. As bell hooks and others have keenly observed, sexism is often pushed under the rug when discussing racism and black empowerment. Dead prez, by expanding their call for liberation to include women, join the “small number of black males
Indeed, it is almost hard to believe the opening line “I don’t eat no meat/ no dairy, no sweets/ only ripe vegetables, fresh fruit, and whole wheat” came from the same men who, only a few songs earlier, were threatening to throw Molotov cocktails at police. In reality, however, this song offers practical advice to those seeking to make positive change within their community. School reform, poverty, gang violence, and widespread incarceration represent systemic problems that can be overwhelming to any individual. “Be Healthy” provides a message of hope in the face of such widespread injustice by reaffirming Gil Scot Heron’s belief that change on the individual level is a prerequisite to revolutionary societal change. In “Happiness,” dead prez addresses the possibility of being overwhelmed by injustice more directly, explaining to listeners “I feel great/ even though we got mad things to deal with/ happiness is all in the mind/ let’s unwind and find a reason to smile/ I’m just glad to be livin’/ feelin’ fine/ leavin’ my bad times behind.” These lyrics convey a theme repeated throughout African American literature of optimism for the future even in the face of widespread injustice in the