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Can a nigga get his basic human rights? Is that too much to ask? Should I say it more polite? Can us minorities get the same rights that every other human has in this country? We’ve been treated like second class citizens for long enough in this country. What do we have to do to get the rights promised to us in our nation’s constitution? Ask more politely? Or is that just too much to ask for? Shades of Blue- There’s Alot Going On (2016) Rain or shine, it’s all blue, it’s all blue Ain’t no sun, it’s all blue, it’s all blue The idiom “rain or shine” means that something is going to happen no matter what. “It’s all blue” is a phrase which refers to sadness. In this case, it can also refer to police. Vic has openly advocated against police brutality, and is a supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement. No matter how serious the crime, it always seems as if the police are going to be biased against minorities. While rain is a symbol for depression, the sun is a stark contrast and a symbol for hope. However, it seems as if there’s no hope for minorities in the justice system. Shades of Blue- There’s Alot Going On (2016) Change gon’ come, it’s all you, it’s all on you A reference to the Sam Cooke song “A Change Is Gonna Come,” a classic civil rights song from 1964. The fact Vic is mentioning this song shows how far the USA still has to come for equal rights. In the Sam Cooke song he mentions the inaction of some African Americans and Vic here speaks to Americans telling them it’s going to have to start with the people. Shades of Blue- There’s Alot Going On (2016) And cigarettes’ll kill you on their own but they’ll kill you for a cigarette, I honor Eric Garner fam’ I’m a part of him, he a part of me In the US, smoking causes about one in five deaths. Eric Garner, of Staten Island, NY, was killed in July 2014 after police accused him of (illegally) selling loose cigarettes to avoid tax. Tired of constantly being accused of petty crimes, Garner resisted arrest. The police officers put him in a choke hold and he died. The whole incident was recorded, including Garner saying “I can’t breath” eleven times. Coming fresh on the back of the death of Mike Brown, the incident received worldwide attention and sparked protests across the nation. It was later ruled a homicide, but the police officer responsible was not indicted for any crime. Shades of Blue- There’s Alot Going On (2016) 30
They got Damn Daniel distracting you on Instagram Back again with the all-white media coverage They do it over and over like remedial subjects When I got out to Flint, and I’m realizing how little the crisis is really being publicized, and then I’m finding out about Damn Daniel. I looked it up and these kids are on “Ellen” and they just got sent a lifetime supply of Vans. I’m like, “This whole media structure is fucked over”. I’m like “This is what’s important enough to be on ‘Ellen?’” Ellen ain’t talkin’ about Flint, Michigan. What’s Ellen doing for us, right now? Shades of Blue- There’s Alot Going On (2016) Now here I am talking ‘bout a revolution And I can’t even spare a dollar to the movement But I’m in the strip club spending dollars on that movement- I guess we all got room for improvement Vic frequently uses his music to advocate for social reform. “16 Shots” calls for a riotous response to the death of Laquon McDonald while “Gunshots in the Air/Ring the Bell” honors the deceased Mike Brown. These public statements decry recent racial injustices, painting Vic as a dedicated supporter of racial equality in America. However, this image of support is nothing more than a facade if Vic spends money on the “movement” of a stripper, rather than donating said money to movements that reflect the sentiment in his music. Shades of Blue- There’s Alot Going On (2016) To the police You can not (You can not!) You can not (You can not!) You can not (You can not! You will not (You will not!) Kill me (Kill me!) If you want justice, make some noise Let’s go Police brutality and discrimination from men and women in uniform against African-Americans has come to the forefront of the Nation’s conciousness, something Vic details in the next song on There’s Alot Going On, “16 Shots” and later on “Shades of Blue.” In 2015 alone there were 1134 killings of black people by police officers, something Vic can’t and won’t stand for. The audio snippet in this outro was captured during a rally prompted by the shooting death of Laquan Mcdonald and serves as a lead-in to “16 Shots,” a song which channels the spirit of these rallies and whose title and hook refers to the 16 fatal shots fired at Laquan by Chicago PD officer Jason Van Dyke. Shades of Blue- There’s Alot Going On (2016) 31
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