Image via Complex Original
The third Monday of every year is a time to reflect on and feel inspired by the extraordinary and incomparable acts of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Having fought for the liberation and basic human rights of African-Americans, Dr. King is responsible for massive advancements in social, racial, and political spheres. As such, myriad rappers and hip-hop artists pay homage to MLK by giving him shout outs on the regular.
Since Dr. King is one of the most important figures in American's history, one would assume these MLK name drops would at least be a little bit thought out. Unfortunately, some rappers seem to have skipped one too many history lessons and their Martin Luther references come off a tad understudied. Let's learn from their mistakes before we make our own. These are The 10 Most Ignorant Lines About Martin Luther King Jr. in Rap History.
Written by Alysa Lechner (@hialysa)
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10. Jay-Z on "The Best of Both Worlds" (2002)
Lyric: "The combination of Perry Mason and Larry Davis, Martin and Malcolm/This is the bigger than the album"
Like Martin and Malcolm, Jay-Z and R. Kelly once ran in similar crowds and have careers in the same industry. But the former pair was known for leading during the Civil Rights Movement whereas Hov and Kellz were leaders in getting people to dance to "Fiesta." We like that song, but it's not the same thing.
9. 50 Cent on "Smile (I'm Leavin')" (2007)
Lyric: "I'm like Martin Luther King, people listen to me a lot"
People listen to Rush Limbaugh a lot, too, and he's nothing like MLK. Selling tons of records is certainly a sound accomplishment, but it doesn't put you in the same league as a world-renown humanitarian.
8. Rick Ross on Game's "Maybach Dons" (2009)
Lyric: "I am the truth, brand new coupe/Run the place, take you straight back to Martin Luther roots"
We know that Rozay meant no harm by this, but it's a bit insensitive to the real struggles endured by Dr. King. It takes more than a nice car and boss-like behavior to alter the entire direction of 20th century politics.
7. T.I. on "Remember Me" (2009)
Lyric: "The King, modern day Martin Luther, Malcolm X/I'm officially the freshest, don't dare forget/I'm gone, momentarily, don't bury me yet"
Again, this is just another case of a rapper inappropriately comparing his fame—which exists because he is an entertainer—to MLK's fame, which exists because he was a force for social change and greater good.
6. Tony Yayo on "Bang Bang" (2003)
Lyric: "These niggas quotin' my lines like a Martin Luther King speech"
This line isn't just bad because it compares MLK's incredible speeches to rap lyrics, but because it compares MLK's incredible speeches to Tony Yayo lyrics.
5. Game on Snoop Dogg's "Gangbangin' 101" (2006)
Lyric: "I'm Dr. Martin Luther King with two guns on/Huey P. Newton with Air Force 1's on"
Considering the fact that Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize specifically for his leadership in non-violent resistance, this line is a fail, even if it's intended to come across as a slick paradox.
4. Meek Mill on Cory Gunz's "YMCMB MMG" (2011)
Lyric: "You ever seen a hundred racks off fiend money/That Martin Luther King, I had a dream money/I can tell you niggas never seen money"
We're pretty that sure MLK's dream didn't have anything to do with getting rich off of drug money. In fact, that's probably the kind of thing that would have given him nightmares.
3. 2Pac on "Words of Wisdom" (1991)
Lyric: "Why is Martin Luther King in my book each week?/He told blacks, if they get smacked, turn the other cheek"
In the preceding line, 2Pac praises Malcolm X because "he tried to educate and liberate all blacks." This is true, and X's work was also necessary and worthy of acknowledgment, but Dr. King fought the same fight. Plus, it's King's devotion to non-violent demonstration that carried his message even further.
2. Kirko Bangz on Ace Hood's "Double Cup" (2012)
Lyric: "I been a fan for that codeine since Martin Luther was like 13/Fuckin' queens cause I'm a king"
Martin Luther King Jr. was 13 in 1942. Kirko Bangz was born in 1989. Besides the first part of this line being totally impossible, Kirko is also using MLK's last name to assert that he beds a lot of women? Terrible.
1. Lil Wayne on "Playing With Fire" (2008)
Lyric: "So assassinate me, bitch/'Cause I'm doing the same shit Martin Luther King did/Checking in the same hotel, in the same suite, bitch/Same balcony like, 'Assassinate me, bitch!'"
Let's get this straight: People want to assassinate Lil Wayne because he's "doing the same shit Martin Luther King did"? That is to say, fought for basic human rights for an entire race of people? We love you Weezy, but this is a major FOH.