Mixtape Theme: The Truth behind the War on Drugs

 William Washington 

ENGL 2016

Dr. Harris

11/30/ 25

Mixtape Theme: The Truth behind the War on Drugs

Introduction:

For this project, I wanted to explore The Intriguing conspiracy dealing with  war on drugs, and how the true origins had nothing to do with keeping the streets safe. Instead it was designed to attack marginalized communities, especially black and brown communities. Over time, removing fathers from the home caused way more issues, leading to a downward spiral of broken homes that we still see to this day. With one of my main sources being “Nixon adviser Admits War on Drugs was designed to criminalize Black people” we see Nixon's own adviser admitting the strategy behind these calculated attacks, using drugs to villainize black people in particular. I used this mixtape to explore the effects of these cruel laws and how it truly split a community in half, Using songs from black artists from decade to decade, showing these struggles through their art. This issue isn't just a problem of the past, as the same laws are affecting and targeting the black community, with these songs showing the real war was on black people, not drugs. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Vf9EhpxO6Lj6r2a0DA2BI?si=KvzWHrSzR-eS6EELsThdMQ

   The War (1980s-1990s)

1 “The Message by Grandfather Flash & The Furious Five”

This song stood out to me during my research as it gives a description of how fast the war on drugs affected the environment, with a line that stood out to me. was “It’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how I keep from goin’ under,” as it feels like their comparison of their environment is dangerous and chaotic, truly wondering how they will make it day by day. I also took from this song the feeling of struggle feeling hopeless.

2 “Fight The Power by Public enemy” 

 Public enemy express their frustration and anger that they felt from the world around them regarding the black community, from the police,the government, and the manipulation of the media to pretend that these harsh laws were to protect and keep the streets safe and clean. But the black community knew the real reality that it was just another way to keep the black man down. “Fight the power” isn't just a random lyric, but was an anthem, a message to not just accept the mistreatment use the anger you feel toward the government, no longer allowing themselves to be victimized by the united states government,with this song being a way to push back rebel after being targeted for so long.

3 “Sound of da Police”-KRS-One

This era of music stood out to me as it goes into more detail of systemic racism and police brutality like it really hasn't been done before, with the song starting off similar to what a police siren sound like, “woop woop” being a symbol of the everyday struggle of patrolling over black neighborhoods.The police didn’t really need a reason to stop a black male, but just a reason to search and use racist, outdated tactics to put fear and intimidation. It wasn't protection, it was a way to control and demasculinize the black man.   

4 “F tha Police -N.W.A”

Out of all the songs on this mixtape, NWA were actual victims of this war on drugs, with them being targeted at the time and treated and seen as criminals, as this song was their everyday life they experience while living in Compton. With this war on drugs, the police are truly able to go after them without any consequences, with this being their way of using their music as a war on the police. from the harassment they faced, to truly say they just don’t care anymore and resist the system.

5 “Changes 2Pac”

2pac uses this song to go into detail about systemic racism and that there needs to be change to come in the future, expressing his frustration of black Americans being the main target of an unfair justice system. 2 Pac even admitted in the song “never did a crime he ain’t have to do, “ showing that he is similar to lots of young black men in the same position. making it pretty much impossible to succeed in the environment around them, with little to no job opportunity, they are forced to do illegal activity, which leads to their death or incarceration.

Broken Families

6 “Brenda got a Baby 2 Pac”  

2 Pac uses his storytelling skills to show a young girl who came from a broken family. showing how the system around these young kids, how poverty, absence of parents, particularly fathers, just make an ongoing cycle of abuse and neglect where families are torn apart before they ever start. With it being heavily applied that Brenda's parents are strung out on drugs, leaving Brenda to pretty much fend for herself. with the war on drugs not protecting families but breaking them apart.

7” Crack Music Kayne West”

Kayne uses this song to express how crack was pushed into black communities and how it destroyed the black household, and how the system was deliberately set up for the black community to have an ongoing cycle of addiction. Once it hit the streets, families that were already struggling had no real chance, as it completely tore it all apart, with Kanye saying it was more strategized and a weapon against black people. 

8 “ Crack rock The Dogs”

This first listen of this song is interesting of sorts,but it showed the dark reality in the eyes of a child and what the crack era did to families, causing humiliation. with the parent being so long gone and no shame, it falls on the child, who will have to deal with the embarrassment and humiliation of the parents addiction.

Survival (2000s)  

9 “Alright Kendrick Lamar”

Similar to F tha police earlier in the mixtape,Kendrick used this song to be a symbol of hope about overcoming the trauma around us from decades of oppression. He gave the black community hope to not stop the fight and that we will be alright even in the face of inequality.

10 “ This is America  Childish Gambino”

Gambino talks about how numb people are to violence in America and racism towards black people, and how these issues of mass incarceration and racial violence aren't just a thing of the past.

11 “The story of OJ  Jay- Z”

Jay- z explains how even wealthy people of the black community couldn’t escape from the fact that they are still seen as black and face systemic oppression.

12 “Freedom Beyonce Ft Kendrick Lamar”

Beyonce and Kendrick use freedom to fight back against injustices and oppression, with freedom being represented as something that shouldn’t be a choice but demanded for it, while resisting against this and fighting back to the system of police brutality.

13 “Glory Common & John Legend”

Glory uses the struggles from the past and the present to give hope and remind the black community to be proud of reliance and to have hope, while also never forgetting what happened in the past because the fight isn’t over.

This Mixtape shows that the war on drugs had a way bigger effect on the community than any good, with no positive outcome other than removing black men from the home and making cycles of one parent households. It was a deliberate attack to create a cycle of oppression that will take work within black communities to clean up the streets and bring back two parents homes. This mixtape doesn’t just represent police brutality and systemic racism. It also shows the lasting effect caused by Nixon which we still see today.At the same time the mixtape gives a sense of hope, reminding us to never forget the fight against Injustice is a never ending battle.  

Nixon Adviser Admits War on Drugs Was Designed to Criminalize Black People