My friends and family know I’ve always been a fan of making mix-tapes and playlist. They always have a theme and usually are inspired by an event, task, or person. When I started this hobby/habit they were short as the cheap 30 minute blank cassettes I could find, but grew to 120 minute Maxwell’s, then extended mp3 playlist. In the wake of a string of racial profiling stories, in particular the Barneys incident that lead to a teenager being detained by undercover police officer for possibly using a fraudulent card, I’ve found myself singing a few songs to myself when the topic is brought up. This is a throwback to my 30 minute mix-tape days.
If I had to make a top 5 (plus 3 bonus) songs that remind me of racial profiling it would be this playlist starting with my number one choice.
“If white boys doin’ it, well it’s success. When I start doin’ it, well it’s suspect.”
2. Illegal Search by LL Cool J
“What the hell are you looking for? Can’t a young man make money anymore? Wear my jewels and like freak it on the floor or is it my job to make sure I’m poor?”
” ‘Son do you know what I’m stopping you for. . .You were doing fifty-five in a fifty-four, licenses and registration and step out of the car. Are you carrying a weapon on you, I know a lot of you are?’ ”
4. Sound of da Police by KRS-One
“Are you really for peace and equality, or when my car is hooked up you know you wanna follow me”
5. 10 Frisk Commandments (Remix) by feat. Jasiri X, Elon James White & Willie Evans Jr.
“I asked why he pulled us over, what a surprise. He said my lights were off, but it was pass sunrise”
“Fuck the police coming straight from the underground, a young nigga got it bad ’cause I’m brown, and not the other color so police think, they have the authority to kill a minority.”
“You see it’s broke nigga (ra)cism, that’s that ‘don’t touch anything in the store’. Then it’s rich nigga (ra)cism, that’s that ‘come in, please buy more'”
8. Crooked Officer by Geto Boys
“Just because you legally pack a gat man, doesn’t necessarily mean you have to point it at a black man”
