Songs about poverty and resulting violence

[mojo pixy]

Most of this album and a few of their later songs too...



Edit to add: beaten to the draw on RAtM but the first album is worth keeping on this thread because it's a masterpiece...

 

[mojo pixy]

More from Ice T (let's be honest, ''poverty and its resulting violence'' is kind of his specialst subject...)
Anyway, a slightly different perspective on possible solutions to poverty...

''Get a job, motherfucker
Learn to rob, motherfucker''

 

[stuff_it]

 

[Maharani]

...can be really powerful

I guess most examples come from Jamaica, but there must be more...i imagine some blues and country tunes tell this too...and rap...

Two that spring to mind are Ghetto Story by Babycham

great lyrics Baby Cham – Ghetto Story Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

and the amazing Ruffer Ruff


both directly saying that its poverty that led to crime

I was listening to some Biggie the other day - not something Ive really done before - and I found this track genuinely moving - Biggie talking about what a piece of shit he is and how he wishes he was dead. Poverty isnt quite there in the lyrics - he doesn't say what made him go bad - but its there in the background unsaid.

I love the first verse in Sky's the limit...where Biggie talks about sewing designer badges on his tops cos he couldn't afford the real thing.

There's also a lyric by him: 'birthdays were the worst days' in reference to being poor as a youth. Allegedly his mother got really upset by that because she always went crazy buying him stuff on his birthday!

 

[chainsawjob]

 

[May Kasahara]

 

[pocketscience]

 

[Disjecta Membra]

Soz can't post properly(phone) but for the second time today I've missed my music hobby and listening to you lot. Much love! .........and there is no poverty when you have music! Lol........

 

[Knotted]

 

[billy_bob]