Today is what the music industry called “Blackout Tuesday,” a voluntary day of silence from labels and creators in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. That’s why Stereogum has remained silent today. We don’t know whether that’s the right thing or not; there have been many conflicting opinions on it and people are interpreting the day’s message of #TheShowMustBePaused in different ways. But YG hasn’t been silent today.
Four years ago, the great California rapper YG teamed up with late Nipsey Hussle for the anthemic single “FDT” — as in, “Fuck Donald Trump.” Today, YG has done something similar with his new song “FTP” — “Fuck The Police.” It’s a hard, intense West Coast rap track about police violence and its effects. YG isn’t talking about peaceful demonstration or quiet gestures of solidarity. He’s talking about a whole different kind of unrest.
On the track, YG quotes past “Fuck The Police” anthems from N.W.A and Lil Boosie, and he puts his own twist on them: “Fuck the police, that’s how I feel/ Buy a Glock, burn down the block, that’s how I feel/ Murder after murder after all these years/ Buy a strap, bust back after all these tears.” Listen below.
Right now, “FTP” is only on YouTube.
Elsewhere on the major music platforms today Apple Music replaced its Radio and Browse functions with a playlist of songs about the black experience, and Spotify included eight minutes and 46 seconds of silence on some playlists to acknowledge the length of time that George Floyd was suffocated.
For information and ways you can protest against police brutality, check out these lists of funds and resources.