Anderson Paak - Lockdown

Born Brandon Paak Anderson, a singer, rapper and drummer, he released the following albums consecutively: in 2014-Venice, 2016-Malibu and 2019-Ventura. This talented drummer/singer/rapper/bandleader picked up two Grammy nominations for the politically charged song “Lockdown,” inspired by Black Lives Matter movement in Los Angeles, California, where demonstrators were shot with rubber bullets by the police. Released June 19, 2020, directed by Kendrick Lamar and partnering with Dave Meyers – this single expresses an emotional informality making it overtly political.

Intentionally published in honor of Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the anniversary of the emancipation of Black slaves in the U.S., Paak’s lyrical rhetoric on the social climate in America at the moment.

Lyrics:

You shoulda been downtown, the people are rising

We thought it was a lock down, they opened up fire

Dem bullets was flying

They said it was a lockdown, got damn lie

Oh my! Time heals all, but you outta time now

Judge gotta watch us from the clock tower

Little tear gas cleared the whole place out

I’ll be back with the hazmat for the next round

We was tryna protest and the fires broke out

Lookout for the secret agents they be planted in the crowd

Said it’s civil unrest

But you sleep so sound

like you don’t hear the screams when we catchin beat downs

Stayin quiet when they killin niggas

But you speak loud when we riot

got opinions comin from a place of privilege

Sicker than the covid how they did him on the ground

Speaking of the covid is it still goin around?

Oh why don’t you tell me bout the lootin what’s that really all about?

Cause they throw away black lives like paper towels

Plus unemployment rate what? 40 million now

Killed a man in broad day, might never see a trial

We just wana break chains like slaves in the south

Started in the north end but we ended downtown

Riot cops tried to block, now we got a showdown... down

You shoulda been downtown, the people are rising

We thought it was a lock down, they opened up fire

Dem bullets was flying

Who said it was a lockdown, got damn lie

(Ooh wee)

Lockdown we ain’t gotta stop cause they tell us to

Downtown where I got popped with the rubber bullet

Tre pound, Got it in my name now

Imma shoot it

Jay Rock:

Turn on your tube dog, look how they do us

Knee on our necks, bullets in backs

Stimulus checks strictly for blacks

History repeating, people scared to eat a chicken

Everybody going vegan, what they put in it?

Look at the world we’re living in

They got us shook in it

You go on your jog, then your color might get you took in it

The man in the mirror can’t look away you gotta look at it

Black lives matter so what it means when they shoot at it?

Generation genocide, what happened to enterprise

Heard the man infiltrated, Black Panthers reenergize

Ain’t nothing to figure out

They trying to kill us out, if I take a kneel, see my fist I’ma kill it now

Just think, bullshit you gotta filter out

Are you really ready for the smoke like a swisher house?

Ready for the revolution who ready to riot?

It won’t be televised, so tell me who ready to die?

If downtown going up, where we at with the shits?

We at the liquor store nigga, bout to get us a fifth

Know they boutta start looting, get the gloves and masks

Watch out for them tanks when they rolling past

Never understand why they do it

someone cut the channel off the news ‘fore I lose it

I ain’t even trippin if you wit it, then we lootin

Help put this Louis in the back of Suzuki

He had to break down so smoothly

Ain’t gone say it’s not about race but we movin hoe, pow!

Got the tre pound, had to put it in my name now

Wish a nigga play now

Any given day I’ll be headed to the pulpit

Say a little prayer, matter fact I need two of em

Ooh won’t he do it, won’t he do it

Ooh this ain’t 92 so we into new rules

Niggas got hip, so we don’t loot the projects

Bout to hit rodeo with my little cousin Marcus

Some one threw a whole brick into Neumann Marcus

Help me put the whole mannequin in the charger

You shoulda been downtown(down), the people are rising(look around)

We thought it was a lock down(lockdown), they opened up fire (had to get low)

Dem bullets was flying(down, down)

Who said it was a lockdown, got damn lie

(Ooh wee)Lockdown we ain’t gotta stop cause they tell us to

Downtown where I got popped with the rubber bullet

Tre pound, Got it in my name now

Imma shoot it

Lockdown we ain’t gotta stop cause they tell us to

Downtown