Given that the African American culture has been subject to things such as discrimination and oppression, the song, Fight the Power, talks about freedom of speech. It conveys the message of the “system” working against them. They were not allowed to express themselves publicly in the manner that they wished, in which the police were a part of preventing at the time. Hip Hop or “Gangster Rap,” as the media liked to call it, was a very new concept and a shock to the American culture. The artists were portrayed in a negative light, to say the least and as vulgar. The police would try to control the shows by attempting to shut them down. 

The purpose was for their intended audience of their fellow African American citizens to take heed to their advice and protest. It’s a means to an end for oppression on their people, to fight for their ultimate freedom. The song does make me think about the issues of social injustice which is one that is sad and upsetting. I would consider myself to be an empathizer of the matter, despite feeling like somewhat of an outsider. I can’t relate to being raised in the projects but there is a level to which I can relate. During my elementary school years, my parents had a home in sort of a rural part of Cypress, TX where it was predominately Caucasian, at that time, and I remember being teased and bullied for my Asian heritage. I just knew that it was plain ignorance, tried my best to remember that and move on. It was a huge relief when we relocated to an upper middle class neighborhood closer to the city, where it was more diverse, I could be easily understood socially and where I could flourish.

http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2238&context=journal_articles