LAND OF THE FREE By Joey Bada$$
In the land of the free, it’s full of freeloaders
Leave us dead in the street to be their organ donors
They disorganized my people, made us all loners
Still got the last names of our slave owners
In Joey’s “LAND OF THE FREE,” the struggles of being an African American man are relayed through a relaxed yet powerful rap. He touches on how black people are majorly targetted by the police, which he connects to police brutality. For example, the line “Leave us dead in the street to be their organ donors” is meant to shed light on the increasing rate of innocent black people, especially the younger generation, who are being shot down and beaten by authorities that are meant to “protect” their community. Furthermore, the pain of the aftermath of black suppression has resulted in the scattering of Joey’s community; it has broken them down and made them distrust the system.
In my opinion, the most powerful lyric is “Still got the last names of our slave owners.” After decades of the black man serving the white cause through slavery, black people still feel the aftershock of slavery even after abolishing it. Joey observes how many African Americans still hold the names of their ancestors’ slave owners, which, in a way, revives the idea of slavery and proves how deep the cut of slavery remains to have today in the black community. I believe the lyrics and the rhythm of the song are well suited, given the powerful and relevant message Joey is trying to convey without the music behind it overbearing. Simplicity can be potent when done right, which Joey indeed does.
