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U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder believes that America has made a huge mistake when it comes to the war on drugs. This week, Holder spoke at the U.S. Capital about unfair drug laws that are enforced against defendants who are convicted of possessing crack cocaine with the intention to distribute. According to the United States Sentencing Committee, those who are convicted of possessing five grams of crack cocaine will earn the same sentence as those who are convicted of possessing 500 grams of powdered cocaine.
At its peak in the late 1980s and early `90s, crack cocaine ravished inner city neighborhoods and many rappers became the frontline reporters who provided insight on life in the trap. Here are the top 4 hip-hop lyrics that point out the misfortunes of mandatory minimums. – amir shaw
“One day you’re cruising in your 7 next day you’re sweating forgetting your lies,
Alibis ain’t matching up, bull—- catching up. Hit with the Rico (Act), they repo your vehicle, everything was all good just a week ago.” – Jay-Z “Dead Presidents”
“Seen the elderly [destroyed] by drug laws, dying in jail. The guidelines stiffer, they
sentence my people different. Instead of intervention they sending us straight to prison,
First time offenders get tangled up in the system.” – Scarface “Crack”
“Writing my life story in rhyme, but when I look at all the [brothers] they hit with mad time in proportion with the big king pins it don’t fit, you could get caught with barely a half a slab and the judge sentence you like you ran the Ave.” – Dead Prez “Sellin”
“So here is the deal, and here are the facts if you ever wonder why they can’t stop crack. The police department is like a crew, it does whatever they want to do. In society you have illegal and legal, we need both to make things equal. So legal is tobacco, illegal is speed, legal is aspirin, illegal is weed. Crack is illegal, cause they cannot stop ya, but cocaine is legal if it’s owned by a doctor.” – KRS-One “Illegal Business”
