Respecta.is - The Ultimate Hip Hop Portal

San Francisco, CA - Bay Area-based political rapper Paris is taking the offensive against police brutality and what he calls the "increasing acceptance of black death" with 'Night of the Long Knives,' the first single and video from his forthcoming album, Pistol Politics.

Paris notes, "Much of hip hop has been commercialized, commodified and neutered to reflect only sensibilities that are actually harmful to black people. Corporate-endorsed black-on-black violence, glorification of drug culture and degradation of women have become so commonplace that it is accepted as normal - though it's anything but. There's room for all, but I want to hear music and see imagery that reflects what's really going on and addresses issues I care about too."

"Malcolm X said that self defense is common sense. That's a credo I can live by. 'Night of the Long Knives,' is a record promoting self-defense. Of course, I'm not glorifying senseless violence against the police. But I am condemning the plague of brutality against members of the black community. And I'm advocating the protecting of oneself in the face of unwarranted aggression. It's sad that people in opposition to this message are never upset about its actual causes - only the effects. They never decry the racism and classism that's at the heart of it all."

Pistol Politics marks a return to form for arguably one of the most politically outspoken artists in hip hop history, and covers a wide range of topics, both good and bad. It serves as a condemnation of society's ills - police brutality, black on black violence, racism, endless wars and economic oppression -- and a celebration of its virtues, emphasizing themes promoting unity, progression and community upliftment.