When Freedom Is Outlawed, Only Outlaws Are Free

Gangsta rapper Ice-T is the role model you never thought you'd need

One of the unintended consequences of being a law-abiding citizen is that you are ill-prepared for the day when the law turns against you. As the rising tide of totalitarianism creeps over America, white, middle-class residents of suburbia are starting to realize that may soon be classed with the criminals they’ve always looked down on.

Rapper-turned-actor Ice-T anticipated this moment, decades ago.

In “Shut Up, Be Happy,” from his 1989 album, “Freedom Of Speech... Just Watch What You Say,” Ice-T enlisted Jello Biafra in the creation of a satirical soundscape of dystopia that bears more than a passing resemblance to both life under COVID restrictions and the authoritarian agenda of the World Economic Forum.

We interrupt this program with a special bulletin:
America is now under martial law.
All constitutional rights have been suspended.
Stay in your homes.
Curfew is at 7 PM sharp after work.
Anyone caught outside the gates of their surveillance sectors after curfew will be shot.
Stay in your homes, remain calm.
The number one enemy of progress is question.
National security is more important than individual will.
All sports broadcasts will proceed as normal.
No more than two people may gather anywhere without permission.
Use only the drugs described by your boss or supervisor.
Shut up, be happy.
Obey all orders without question.
The comfort you demanded is now mandatory.
Be happy.
At last everything is done for you.

So, what’s a straight-laced clock-puncher to do, when the system turns against him? In “Code of the Streets,” from his 2006 album “Gangsta Rap,” Ice-T offers the advice that was handed down to him from his own mentors.

Told me never snitch, never trust man or bitch
Rock revolvers, never trust gats with clips
Speak in low tones, even when you think you're alone
Cause phones will get you sent upstate, cause feds roll tape
And all that close talking, talk about birds and cake
They talk it better than you, so advise your crew
And anybody new, watch him with both eyes
Cause the DEA is crafty, always sending spies

In just one verse, Ice-T delivers a great deal of quality advice. Let’s translate it into suburbanite.

• Don’t betray another’s confidence, and don’t give anyone information they can betray you with.

• Carry a revolver, because semi-automatic pistols are less reliable when used in life-and-death situations,

• Assume that you’re being listened to at all times; phones are used for surveillance, and everything you say is being recorded and analyzed by the government.

• Don’t assume that using code words is safe; agents of the state might understand it more clearly than you do.

• Be suspicious of anybody you haven’t known for a long time; they might be an agent sent to entrap you.

Ice-T’s lyrical style may not be to everyone’s taste, but the point is this: A few years ago, only drug dealers and gangbangers had to live by rules like this. Now, every day, they become more relevant for the rest of us.

In closing, enjoy Ice-T's sardonic take on freedom of speech, from “Imagine That,” a bonus track on 2019’s “Home Invasion” album:

"[Spoken intro] If censorship keeps moving the way it is, the future of hip-hop might sound like this:

Government approved rap

Love the police

Government approved rap

Pay Taxes

Government approved rap

Trust the President

Government approved rap

Politicians are honest

Government approved rap"