Hoy les traigo a este hilo un par de temas en los que la ciudad arde, de forma literal o figurada, al calor del conflicto y la revuelta urbana. De Gordon Lightfoot, ‘Black Day in July’, canción de 1968 sobre los disturbios acaecidos en Detroit el año anterior. De Ice Cube, ‘We Had to Tear This Muthafucka Up’ (sic), corte de 1992 sobre la revuelta del mismo año en Los Ángeles. Del folk al hip-hop, dos formas de poesía popular sobre la revuelta urbana afroamericana, entre el tono elegíaco y la llamada a asaltar las calles… con las 43 víctimas de Motown y las 53 de LA al fondo.

“Black Day In July”

Black Day in July
Motor City madness has touched the countryside
And through the smoke and cinders you can hear it far and wide
The door are quickly bolted and the children locked inside
Black Day in July
Black Day in July
And the soul of Motor City is feared across the land
As the book of law and order is taken in the hands
Of the sons of the fathers who were carried to this land
Black Day in July
Black Day in July
In the streets of Motor City there’s a deadly silent sound
And the body of a dead youth lies stretched upon the ground
Upon the filthy pavements no reason can be found
Black Day in July
Black Day in July
Motor City madness has touched the countryside
And the people rise in anger and the streets begin to fill
And there’s gunfire from the rooftops and the blood begins to spill
Black Day in July
In the mansion of the Governor there’s nothing that is known for sure
The telephone is ringing and the pendulum is swinging
And the wonder how it happened and they really know the reason
And it wasn’t just the temperature and it wasn’t just the season
Black Day in July
Black Day in July
Motor City’s burning and the flames are running wild
They reflect upon the waters of the river and the lake
And everyone is listening and everyone’s awake
Black Day in July
Black Day in July
The printing press is turning and the news is quickly flashed
And you read your morning paper and you sip your cup of tea
And you wonder just in passing is it him or is it me
Black Day in July
In the Office of the President the deed is done the troops are sent
There’s really not much choice you see it looks to us like anarchy
And then the tanks go rolling in patch things up as best they can
There is no time to hesitate the speech is made the dues can wait
Black Day in July
Black Day in July
The streets of Motor City now are are quiet and serene
But the shapes of gutted buildings strike terror to the heart
And you say how did it happen and you say how did it start
Why can’t we all be brothers why can’t we live in peace
But the hands of the the have-nots keep falling out of reach
Black Day in July
Black Day in July
Motor City madness has touched the countryside
And through the smoke and cinders you can hear it far and wide
The door are quickly bolted and the children locked inside
Black Day in July
Black Day in July
Black Day in July

“We Had To Tear This Muthafucka Up”

Peace, quiet and good order will be maintained in our city to the best of
our ability. Riots, melees and disturbances of the peace are against the
interests of all our people and therefore cannot be permitted
The jury found that they were all not guilty, not guilty….
We’ve been told that all along Crenshaw Boulevard that there’s a series of
fires. A lot of looting is going on. A disaster area obviously
The jury found that they were all not guilty, not guilty…
Make it rough
A lot of activity continues here in this…. Make it rough
We have sporadic fires throughout the city of Los Angeles

Not guilty the filthy devils tried ta kill me
When the news get to the hood then niggas will be
hotter than cayenne pepper, cuss, bust
Kickin up dust is a must
I can’t trust a cracker in a blue uniform
Stick a nigga like a unicorn
Vaugn, wicked, Lawrence Powell, foul
Cut his fuckin throat and I smile
Go to Simi Valley and surely
somebody knows the address of the jury
Pay a little visit, “Who is it?” (Who is Ice Cube?)
“Can I talk to the grand wizard?” then boom
Make him eat the barrel, modern day feral
Now he’s zipped up like leather tuscadero
Pretty soon we’ll catch Sergeant Coon
Shoot him in the face, run up in him witta broom
Stick prick, devils ain’t shit
Introduce his ass to the AK40 dick
Two dazed niggas layin in the cut
To get some respect we had to tear this muthafucka up

Make it rough

I gotta Mac10 for Officer Wynd
Damn, his devil ass need to be shipped back to Kansas
in a casket, crew cut faggot
Now he ain’t nothin but food for the maggots
Lunch, punch, Hawaiin lyin
Niggas ain’t buyin
ya story bore me
Taerin up shit with fire, shooters, looters
Now I got a lap-top computer
I told you all what happened and you heard it, read it
but all you could call me was anti-Semitic
Regret it-nope, said it-yep
Listen to my big black boots as I step
Niggas had to break you off somethin, give Bush a push
But your National Guard ain’t hard
You had to get Rodney to stop me cos you know what?
We woulda teared this muthafucka up

Huh, make it rough!
Huh Muggs, make it rough!

It’s on, gone with the wind and I know white men can’t dunk
Now I’m stealin blunts
And it came from Betty Crocker, overweight and blacker
Don’t fuck with the black-owned stores but hit the Foot Lockers
Steal, muthafuck Fire Marshall Bill
Oh what the hell, throw the cocktail
I smelt smoke, got the fuck out, Ice Cube lucked out
My nigga had his truck out, didn’t get stuck out
In front of that store with the Nikes and Adidas
Oh Jesus, I ?? Surplus got the heaters
Meet us so we can get the 9’s and the what-nots
Got the Mossberg with the double eyed buckshot
Ready for Darryl and like Beretta wouldn’t say
Keep your eye on the barrel, a sparrow
Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time
But I’m rollin so that’s a fucked up slogan
The Hogan’s Heroes spotted the gorilla by the Sizzler
Hittin up police killer
The super duper nigga that’ll buck
We had to tear this muthafucka up so what the fuck!?!

Huh, make it rough!
Yo Muggs, make it rough
Huh, make it rough
Enough

Not Guilty verdicts for Stacey Coon, Lawrence Powell, Timothy Wynd and
Theodore Vaugsinio, the four officers accused of beating motorist Rodney
King