Solange’s "A Seat At the Table" was trenched in personal stories and unapologetic blackness. From “FUBU (For Us, By Us)” to “Don’t Touch My Hair,” Solange showed us that she

was fearless about putting out music that laid bare her message to the world about culture vultures and clueless #wypipo.

K. Dot has a history of releasing socially conscious music, that’s just how he gets down. Recently, “Alright,” stood out as a club banger that went hard in the club

while simultaneously giving a huge middle finger to law enforcement. He reassured black folks everywhere that we’re all gonna be alright.

Common is another rapper with that socially-conscious rapper label. His song, “A Song For Assata,” is a beautiful ode to the exiled (or escaped, rather) member of the Black Panther

Party, Assata Shakur, Tupac's aunt.

In 2015, New Jersey University renigged on their invitation to Common as a keynote speaker at its commencement. The police protested his presence due to his

Assata song. Shout out to Common for not buckling on his beliefs over weak threats.

In 2010, John Legend and The Roots released a collaboration album entitled Wake Up! These brothas covered a lot of the conscious and woke songs of the 60’s and 70’s.

We

love how John Legend uses his music to take a very clear stance in the midst of social injustice. No blurred lines here.

Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” was birthed after a phone call from Spike Lee in which the director reached out to the group to see if they were down to

create a “hip hop version” of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

The song would be used in Spike’s Do the Right Thing, another classic that dealt with race tensions and

the violence that often ensues because of it. Fight the Power became an anthem. Enough said.

Nas is that dude, for real. When “I Can,” came out back in the day, Nas had the little homies chanting the rap song line for line, talking about their

history and proclaiming that they could grow up to be anything they wanted to be.

Even albums such as Untitled (originally entitled Ni**er), Illmatic, and Life is Good, were platforms

for the goat rapper to scrutinize systemic racism, oppression, and to explore the failures of Black leadership.

Ya’ll already know how woke Pac was. We mean the rapper was born to a Black Panther Party member and his aunt was Assata Shakur.

Pac used his music to

put the ghetto on front street. He humanized people from the hood that bougie outsiders condemned. He talked about hope versus hopelessness. Pac loved the people and the people loved

him. He’s an OG for all that he has done.

N.W.A.’s “F**k Tha Police,” shared with the world a sentiment that people of color know all too well. You could imagine the controversy that the song caused, but we’re thankful

for joints like this that keep it 100 and show the world that we won’t tuck our tails in to police brutality in our hoods.

J. Cole released “Be Free,” in 2014 as a tribute to slain teen Michael Brown, who succumbed to police brutality in Ferguson, Missouri. Cole was out there on the front

lines during the Ferguson protests and chopped it up with many of the protesters.

Cole croons in his song, “All we want to do is take the chains off/All we

want to do is be free.”

Hova’s recent release, 4:44, explores ideas of race in America. The legendary rapper raps over beats in which he probes at racial progress and takes a stab at putting his

listeners on to generational wealth.