Sound of da Police

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"Sound of da Police"
Sound Of Da Police.jpg
Single by KRS-One
from the album Return of the Boom Bap
B-side"Hip Hop vs. Rap"
ReleasedDecember 6, 1993 (1993-12-06)
Recorded1993
StudioD&D Studios (New York, NY)
GenreConscious hip hop[1]
Length4:18
LabelJive
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Showbiz
KRS-One singles chronology
"Outta Here"
(1993) 		"Sound of da Police"
(1993) 		"MC's Act Like They Don't Know"
(1995)
Music video
"Sound of da Police" on YouTube
Audio sample
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"Sound of da Police"
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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic4/5 stars[2]

"Sound of da Police" is a song by American rapper KRS-One. It was released in December 1993 as the second and final single from his debut solo studio album Return of the Boom Bap. The song was recorded at D&D Studios in New York City. Production was handled by Showbiz. It peaked at number 89 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Content[]

The song criticizes police brutality and systematic racism.[3][4] It begins with KRS-One whooping twice to evoke a police siren (the "sound of the police"); this recurs several times throughout the song. The heavy bass sample loop was taken from Grand Funk Railroad's cover of "Inside-Looking Out", the final track of their LP Grand Funk.[5] Part of the drum track is taken from "Sing a Simple Song" by Sly and the Family Stone.[5]

Charts[]

Chart (1994) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[6] 89
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[7] 79
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[8] 17

In popular culture[]

The song was featured in the American films Cop Out, Tag, Black and Blue, and the British film Attack the Block. It was featured as an in-game radio selection in the 2015 video game Battlefield Hardline (by Electronic Arts), and was used for the end credits of the 2016 movie Ride Along 2[9] and in the 2016 published The Angry Birds Movie soundtrack. It has appeared in the TV show Brooklyn Nine-Nine.[10] The 'Whoop whoop, sound of da police' hook has been referenced by ska punk band Sonic Boom Six on their track "Piggy in the Middle",[11] by Body Count on their song "Black Hoodie" and in metal band Skindred on the title track of their 2002 debut album Babylon. It was also featured in French movie La Haine.

On February 3, 2012, infamous hacker group Anonymous took over the Boston Police Department's web page and replaced the it with a message and an embedded version of KRS-One's "Sound of da Police" music video.[12]

References[]

  1. ^ Zaru, Deena; Lee, Alex (August 16, 2017). "KRS-One gets political: What's fake and what's real in politics?". CNN. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  2. ^ "Sound of Da Police [LP EP] - KRS-One | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  3. ^ Zaru, Deena. "KRS-One gets political: What's fake and what's real in politics?". CNN. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  4. ^ Nestruck, J. Kelly. "Sound of the Beast is an unusual, disarming display of poetic justice". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "Direct Sample of Multiple Elements". whosampled.com. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  6. ^ "KRS-One Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  7. ^ "KRS-One Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  8. ^ "KRS-One Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard.
  9. ^ "IMDB - Ride Along 2 - Soundtracks".
  10. ^ Brooklyn Nine-Nine (November 28, 2017). "Best of Hitchcock and Scully". youtube.com. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  11. ^ "Piggy In The Middle Lyrics by Sonic Boom Six - Lyrics On Demand". Lyrics On Demand. Retrieved 2017-11-17.
  12. ^ Cooper, Roman; Kuperstein, Slava (February 4, 2012). "KRS-One's "Sound Of Da Police" Video Used In Hacked Boston Police Department's Website". HipHopDX. Retrieved May 18, 2021.

External links[]

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