Songs of Consciousness : Us

🎶Could you tell me who unleashed our animal instinct? (Uh)

And the white man sittin' there tickled pink (No shit)

Laughin' at us on the avenue

Bustin' caps at each other after havin' brew

We can't enjoy ourselves

Too busy jealous at each other's wealth (Right, right)

But comin' up's just in me

But the Black community is full of envy🎶 - Ice Cube (Us).

In 1991 west coast hip hop ringleader Ice Cube released his sophomore album Death Certificate. As the follow up to his solo debut Amerikkkas Most Wanted, the album was harder, angrier, more controversial and more socially and politically conscious than its predecessor. Cube was heavily outspoken on the album about the issues that were plaguing the Black community and he no problem calling out the people who responsible for the community’s issues. From law enforcement to other races, Cube pulled no punches in identifying the perpetrators against the community. On the song “Us” from the album Cube made a point to hold the Black community accountable more than anything for our community’s issues.

The song starts off by playing a skit which is a conversation between a little boy and T-bone who was a member of Ice Cube’s crew Da Lench Mob. In the skit the little boy tells T-bone how the only thing he values in his future is shallow materialism for the sake of social appeal, to which T-bone rebukes. The point of this skit was to poor sense of values that our community is giving to the youth. After the skit Cube goes on a full blown tirade.

In the first verse of the song Cube starts off highlighting how the Black community has contributed to being targets of ignorance from bigots and exploiters of other races and people in power. He digs deep by highlighting how all of our communal strife and destructive attitudes towards one another have aided in the compromise of our people. He concludes the verse by telling the Black community that the only way we can grow and get to a better place is by looking at ourselves and examining what’s wrong with us.

🎶And all y'all dope-dealers

You're as bad as the police 'cause ya kill us

You got rich when you started slangin' dope

But you ain't built us a supermarket (So shit)

So when can spend our money with the Blacks

Too busy buyin' gold and Cadillacs (Huh)

That's what ya doin' with the money that ya raisin'

Exploitin' us like the Caucasians did (Yup)

For 400 years, I got 400 tears, for 400 peers

Died last year from gang-related crimes

That's why I got gang-related rhymes (Right)

But when I do a show to kick some facts

Us Blacks don't know how to act🎶

The second verse is where Cube really cuts the deepest. Because it is here that he acknowledges how the bad guys in the Black community are just as destructive to the community as rogue law enforcement and dirty politicians. Cube also notes how acting like negative stereotypes of ourselves sabotages good opportunities and creates an inability to have a good time.

🎶Us, we'll always sing the blues

'Cause all we care about is hairstyles and tennis shoes

And if ya step on mine ya pushed a button

'Cause I'll beat you down like it ain't nothin'

Just like a beast

But I'm the first nigga to holler out peace, black man

I beat my wife and children to a pulp

When I get drunk and smoke dope

Got a bad heart condition

Still eat hog-mogs and chitlin's

Bet my money on the dice or the horses

Jobless, so I'm a ho for the armed forces🎶

Cube closes out the song with the third verse by giving a first person perspective of all the negative stereotypes that the misguided Black American embodies. He even ends the song with an open ended conclusion of the listener simply hearing what is wrong with us as a community and how no one else cares.

Personally I interpreted the ending of the song as Cube saying this is what’s wrong with us and only we can truly care enough to fix our problems, so we have to be the ones to do it. With Cube being my top favorite rapper ever this song is definitely one of my top five Cube songs. What makes this song one of Cube’s best is its accountability. People love to throw out the bogus narrative that there is no accountability in the Black community.

“Us” is a shining example of how we do have accountability in our community and it also shows how Cube holds everyone accountable in regards to community turmoil and not just any one group or selective groups. As a Black American I personally feel this is one of the most important and unrecognized Hip Hop songs ever because of its consciousness. It’s also another example of why Cube is one of the greatest to ever do it.

🎶Sometimes I believe the hype, man

We mess it up ourselves and blame the white man

But don't point the finger you jiggaboo

Take a look at yourself, ya dumb nigga, you

Pretty soon Hip Hop won't be so nice

No Ice Cube, just Vanilla Ice (Man, fuck that)

And you'll sit and scream and cuss

But there's no one to blame but us🎶