7 Song Lyrics That Basically Mean Black People Should Get Reparations

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On this wonderful Juneteenth, reparations is a major topic of discussion thanks to a hearing that took place in Congress.

According to USA Today, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties held a hearing today, June 19, around a bill that would study reparations and the generational effects of slavery.

The bill, known as House Resolution 40, was originally sponsored by former Democratic Rep. John Conyers of Michigan in 1989. He reintroduced the legislation every session until he retired in 2017. Then Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee re-introduced the bill earlier this year as the resolution’s new sponsor.

If the legislation passes, more concrete moves can be made in distributing reparations to Black people, especially Black descendants of slaves in America. Folks like Danny Glover and “The Case for Reparations” author Ta-Nehisi Coates, testified at the Juneteenth hearing, along with legal and economic specialists.

Although reparations has become a hot political topic in recent months, the idea doesn’t just reside in the minds on Capitol Hill.

Activists, artists and everyday Black people have been imagining the concept for years, and there have been a few wins. With more victories potentially on the horizon, a rallying song around the topic would be wonderful.

Certain artists like 2Pac and A Tribe Called Quest have dropped the “reparations” word in their songs, but it’s some of the more subliminal tracks that could be used for a dope protest. Don’t act like Black people haven’t been using coded language in music since slavery times.

Hit the flip for some songs lyrics that we don’t know for sure were about reparations…

But we’re going to believe the artists were on the “pay me what you owe me” tip — whether it be from the government, big business, banks or anyone else who’s stripped wealth from slaves and their descendants.

1. “Bit** Better Have My Money” by Rihanna

Self-explanatory.

2. “Always stay gracious, best revenge is your paper”

“Formation” by Beyoncé

Like…how could this NOT be about reparations?

3. “Me and my ni**as tryna get it ya bish”

“Money Trees” by Kendrick Lamar 

“My ni**as,” meaning “melanated folks”….”ya bish,” meaning “the oppressors.”

Simple math.

4. “Saw things I imagine, I saw things I imagined”

“Things I Imagined” by Solange

‘

The ancestors imagined the end of chattel slavery, we got Juneteenth. We imagine reparations, we shall get it!

5. “All I really wanna see is the (Money), I don’t really need the D, I need the (Money), All a bad bit** need is the (Money)”

“Money” by Cardi B

“I don’t really need the ‘D,’” meaning “drama”….”All a bad bit** need is the (money),” meaning all Black women who are descendants of systematic racism should be getting their coins.

Point blank, periodt.

6. “Pardon the visual/ But money, it give me a hard-on it’s typical/ I want it in physical, A million dollars, I count up in intervals/ Without it I’m miserable/ Don’t wanna fall off so I’m all in my bag/ Thankin’ God like it’s biblical/ I know it’s gon’ solve every problem I have”

“Count It Up” by J. Cole

Though reparations should be a systematic process, it should without a doubt have a personal impact. Will it “solve every problem?” Not necessarily. But it’ll surely give communities a much needed boost.

7. “Gimme my check, put some respect on my check/ Or pay me in equity (pay me in equity)/ Watch me reverse out of debt (skrrt)”

“Apesh*t” by Beyoncé and Jay-Z

While equality means treating everyone equally, equity means investing in the disadvantaged so they can participate in the playing field in the first place.

So yes, pay us in equity and let the debt be reversed!

In the name of Beysus.