Speed Law
1999 · Rawkus 088 112 905-2 · Brooklyn, New York
- Artist
- Mos Def
- Title
- Speed Law
- Release
- Black On Both Sides
- Year
- 1999
- Label
- Rawkus # 088 112 905-2
- Format
- LP · Album
- Language
- English
- Country
- Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Songwriter
- 88 Keys
- Genre
- Hip Hop · Hip Hop · Rap
- Primary theme
- Post-War
Annotation
Influential East Coast Hip Hop artist Mos Def, born 11 December 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, USA, also a member of well-known duo group Black Star with Talib Kweli. The song "Speed Law" is a good example of hip-hop groups comparing inner-city violence to Vietnam, in this case Brooklyn - "Brook-nahm Vietnam, the heat is on" - showing the continued importance and re-interpretation of the war in cotemporary culture and society.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — Rap / Hip Hop Songs
Influential East Coast Hip Hop / Conscious Hip Hop artist Mos Def, born Dante Terrell Smith on 11 December 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, USA, also a member of well-known duo group Black Star with Talib Kweli. He currently goes by the name Yasiin Bey. He referenced the Vietnam War in the following tracks: "Speed Law" (1999), "Get By" (2003) (with Kanye West, JAY-Z, Talib Kweli, and Busta Rhymes), and"History" (2009) (with Talib Kweli).The song "Speed Law" (Rawkus # RWK 1159) is a good example of hip hop groups comparing city violence to Vietnam, in this case Brooklyn - "Brook-nahm Vietnam, the heat is on" - showing the continued importance and re-interpretation of the war in cotemporary culture and society.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
American rapper and actor, born 11 December 1973 in Brooklyn, New York. [Source: Wikipedia]