1993 single by KRS-One
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"Sound of da Police " is a song by American rapper KRS-One . Recorded at D&D Studios in New York City with production handled by Showbiz , it was released in December 1993 as the second and final single from KRS-One's debut solo studio album Return of the Boom Bap . It peaked at number 89 on the US Billboard Hot 100 .
Content
The song criticizes police brutality and systemic racism .[ 3] [ 4] It begins with KRS-One whooping twice to evoke a police siren (the "sound of the police"); this recurs several times throughout the song. The heavy bass sample loop, and part of a guitar solo were taken from Grand Funk Railroad 's cover of "Inside-Looking Out ", the final track of their LP Grand Funk .[ 5] Part of the drum track is taken from "Sing a Simple Song " by Sly and the Family Stone .[ 5]
The music video was directed by Michael Lucero.
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In popular culture
The song was featured in the American films Cop Out , Tag , Black and Blue , and the British film Attack the Block . It was featured as an in-game radio selection in the 2015 video game Battlefield Hardline (by Electronic Arts ), and was used for the end credits of the 2016 movie Ride Along 2 [ 10] and in the 2016 published The Angry Birds Movie soundtrack. It has appeared in the TV show Brooklyn Nine-Nine .[ 11] The 'Whoop whoop, sound of da police' hook has been referenced by ska punk band Sonic Boom Six on their track "Piggy in the Middle",[ 12] by Body Count on their song "Black Hoodie" and in metal band Skindred on the title track of their 2002 debut album Babylon . The song plays over the final scenes and closing credits of season 3, episode 2 of Sex Education .[ 13]
It is the theme music for the long-running stand-up show on BBC Radio 4 , Alfie Moore - It's a Fair Cop.
The song is well known in France, where the chorus is commonly misinterpreted as "assassins de la police " (literally "police killer").[ 14] A remix of the song by DJ Cut Killer was featured in the soundtrack of the film La Haine .[ 15] The hip hop duo Suprême NTM later sampled the chorus on their album Live .[ 14]
On February 3, 2012, hacker group Anonymous defaced the Boston Police Department 's web page, replacing it with an embedded version of KRS-One's "Sound of da Police" music video and a message criticizing the department's treatment of the Occupy Boston movement.[ 16]
References
^ Zaru, Deena; Lee, Alex (August 16, 2017). "KRS-One gets political: What's fake and what's real in politics?" . CNN . Retrieved August 22, 2021 .
^ "Sound of Da Police [LP EP] - KRS-One | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" . AllMusic . Retrieved May 18, 2021 .
^ Zaru, Deena (25 November 2015). "KRS-One gets political: What's fake and what's real in politics?" . CNN . Retrieved January 7, 2019 .
^ Nestruck, J. Kelly (19 April 2017). "Sound of the Beast is an unusual, disarming display of poetic justice" . The Globe and Mail . Retrieved January 7, 2019 .
^ a b "Direct Sample of Multiple Elements" . whosampled.com . Retrieved August 22, 2021 .
^ "KRS-One Chart History (Hot 100)" . Billboard .
^ "KRS-One Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)" . Billboard .
^ "KRS-One Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)" . Billboard .
^ "British single certifications – Krs-One – Sound Of Da Police" . British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved August 2, 2024 .
^ "IMDB - Ride Along 2 - Soundtracks" . IMDb .
^ Brooklyn Nine-Nine (November 28, 2017). "Best of Hitchcock and Scully" . youtube.com . Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved August 21, 2021 .
^ "Piggy In The Middle Lyrics by Sonic Boom Six - Lyrics On Demand" . Lyrics On Demand . Retrieved 2017-11-17 .
^ Hunt, James (September 17, 2021). "Every Song In Sex Education Season 3" . Screen Rant . Retrieved September 19, 2021 .
^ a b Leprince, Chloé (10 December 2018). " "Assassins de la police" : histoire d'un slogan né d'une hallucination collective" . France Culture (in French). Radio France . Retrieved 14 August 2022 .
^ Green, Steph (8 September 2020). "The sound and the fury: rap, reggae and resistance in La Haine" . Sight & Sound . BFI . Retrieved 14 August 2022 .
^ Cooper, Roman; Kuperstein, Slava (February 4, 2012). "KRS-One's "Sound Of Da Police" Video Used In Hacked Boston Police Department's Website" . HipHopDX . Retrieved May 18, 2021 .
External links
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