The LA riots broke out 13 years ago today in reaction to the not-guilty verdict given to the white cops who beat up Rodney King(who was African American).
Ironically, today, the movie XXX 2: State of the Union comes out today.
Though the movie has NOTHING to do with the LA riots, it stars Ice Cube who had some commentary on the LA riots on his late-1992 album "The Predator". Ice Cube himself is from South Central LA.
It was said that his 1991 album "Death Certificate" predicted the LA riots. Especially the song "Black Korea" in which he expressed anger towards Korean store owners in LA and mentioned he wanted to burn their stores. Other songs in the album expressed more anger towards America's treatment of African Americans. Some said the LA riots were the fault Ice Cube's lyrics. Others said that Ice Cube was just making commentary on life in South Central LA. and he was giving a warning that mainstream white America was ignoring at the time.
Ice Cube later albums, while still hardcore, didn't have as much angry commentary as "Death Certificate" or "Predator". Some of the militant African Americans are dissapointed about that. Ice Cube said that those albums were done in the early 1990's and he's not interested in doing them again.
Though Ice Cube wouldn't admit it, America in general has been nicer to him since the LA riots.
Ironically, today, the movie XXX 2: State of the Union comes out today.
Though the movie has NOTHING to do with the LA riots, it stars Ice Cube who had some commentary on the LA riots on his late-1992 album "The Predator". Ice Cube himself is from South Central LA.
It was said that his 1991 album "Death Certificate" predicted the LA riots. Especially the song "Black Korea" in which he expressed anger towards Korean store owners in LA and mentioned he wanted to burn their stores. Other songs in the album expressed more anger towards America's treatment of African Americans. Some said the LA riots were the fault Ice Cube's lyrics. Others said that Ice Cube was just making commentary on life in South Central LA. and he was giving a warning that mainstream white America was ignoring at the time.
Ice Cube later albums, while still hardcore, didn't have as much angry commentary as "Death Certificate" or "Predator". Some of the militant African Americans are dissapointed about that. Ice Cube said that those albums were done in the early 1990's and he's not interested in doing them again.
Though Ice Cube wouldn't admit it, America in general has been nicer to him since the LA riots.
The fact that a hardcore African American like Ice Cube has become a big movie star in the last decade shows America has become more tolerant of African Americans.
Back in the early 90's (I was in elementary school) all the major action stars were white (ie - future Cali gov Arnold, Jean Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris etc.). Now we have a more multi-racial slate of action stars (ie Vin Diesel, The Rock, Ice Cube)
I remember that I was in the 5th grade when the LA riots broke out in 1992. I got a call from my uncle living in LA in the afternoon (Hawaii time). Being that it was the afternoon, I didn't get a chance to watch the news yet. Anyways, my uncle mentioned about some fires out in the streets of LA. A few minutes later, my older brother came home. I mentioned to him about a call from my LA uncle. My brother already heard the news - there was a riot in LA.
About a week later, a new student came to my elementary school. It was a white boy from LA. So I asked him if he came here to escape the riots. He didn't want to answer my question. Who knows, the timing might've been a coincidence.
