I'm white and 57 years old, and I like rap music, some rap music that is. Like any genre, some rap music is awful, a lot of it is mediocre, and some of it is very good. Ice T's Cop Killer, for example, a lot of Tupac's stuff, and almost anything by Professor Louie.

For those who don't know...

Cop Killer by Ice T

I got my black shirt on.
I got my black gloves on.
I got my ski mask on.
This shit's been too long.

I got my twelve gauge sawed off.
I got my headlights turned off.
I'm 'bout to bust some shots off.
I'm 'bout to dust some cops off.

Cop killer, better you than me.
Cop killer, f--- police brutality!
Cop killer, I know your family's grievin'.
Cop killer, but tonight we get even.

I got my brain on hype.
Tonight will be your night.
I got this longassed knife,
And your neck looks just right.

My adrenaline's pumpin'.
I got my stereo bumpin'.
I'm 'bout to kill me somethin'
A pig stopped me for nothin'!

Cop killer, better you than me.
Cop killer, f--- police brutality!
Cop killer, I know your mama's grievin'.
Cop killer, but tonight we get even.

Ice T, who played a policeman in th movie New Jack City, said the followin about the song: "I'm singing in the first person as a character who is fed up with police brutality. I ain't never killed no cop. I felt like it a lot of times. But I never did it."

For comparison, let me show you this song and see if you can guess who wrote it? Hint: it was a pair of songwriters that most Mudcatters would likely praise.


66 Highway Blues

There is a Highway from coast to the coast,
New York to Los Angeles,
I'm a-goin' down that road with troubles on my mind,
I got them 66 Highway Blues.

Every old town that I ramble around,
Down that lonesome road,
The police in your town they shove me around,
I got them 66 Highway Blues

Makes me no difference wherever I ramble,
Lord, wherever I go,
I don't wanna be pushed around by the police in your town,
I got them 66 Highway Blues.

I've been on this road for a mighty long time,
Ten million more just like me,
You drive us from your town, we ramble around,
I got them 66 Highway Blues.

Sometimes I think I'll blow down a cop,
Lord, they treat me so mean,
I done lost my gal, I aint got a dime,
I got them 66 Highway Blues.

Sometime I think I'll get me a gun,
Thirty eight or big forty four
But a number for a name and a big ninety-nine,
Is worse than 66 Highway Blues.

I'm gonna start me a hungry man's union,
Aint gonna charge no dues,
Gonna march down that road to the Wall Street wall,
Singing those 66 Highway Blues.

If you haven't already guessed, the words are by Woody Guthrie. And the tune is by none other than Pete Seeger. It looks like Ice T isn't the only person who had those thoughts, nor is he the only one who ever put those thoughts into a song.