10 Political Rap Artists Who Aren't Public Enemy

Check out these artists who keep activism in their lyrics.

Others Who Didn't Believe the Hype - Public Enemy might get credit for ushering in the political era of rap, which they rightfully should, but there were other groups and artists who followed suit. Some were connected to their movement, others were inspired by them and continue to keep this style of rap alive. Ch-ch-check it out. (Photo: Motown Records)
Poor Righteous Teachers -  From their classic cuts like "Rock Dis Funky Joint" to "Shakiyla" to even the name of this Jersey trio, the Poor Righteous Teachers put their status as Five Percenters front and center in their music. (Photo: Profile Records)
2. KMD - A trio from Long Beach, NY, KMD, which stood for Kausin' Much Damage, also caused many headaches at their record label. They were known to record with fellow Five Percenters and were brash about their attitudes toward Black empowerment. It was their second album, Black Bastards (it's pictured above), that proved so controversial that they were dropped. Despite the controversy, one member, Zev Love X, managed to reinvent himself years later as the underground cult rap icon MF Doom. (Photo: ReadyRock Records)3. X-Clan - X-Clan wasn't a far cry from KMD — both groups had a distinct Afrocentric and Black empowerment element in their music. However, X-Clan didn't quite reach the same level of controversy that KMD did. They were never dropped by their label. The founding member, Professor X (RIP), was actually the son of activist Sonny Carson, whose bio was turned into a film. To X-Clan's credit, they also managed to create a strong network of equally minded artists, similar to how A Tribe Called Quest and Wu-Tang Clan kept a network of associates. (Photo: David Corio/Getty Images)

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Others Who Didn't Believe the Hype - Public Enemy might get credit for ushering in the political era of rap, which they rightfully should, but there were other groups and artists who followed suit. Some were connected to their movement, others were inspired by them and continue to keep this style of rap alive. Ch-ch-check it out. (Photo: Motown Records)

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