State of the Union (STFU) by Public Enemy (2020)

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State Of The Union (STFU) Cover

Public Enemy commemorated Juneteenth (June 19) by releasing their anti-Trump song, accompanying with the video features footage from nationwide protests in response to the death of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks. [1]

State of the Union (STFU) targets Donald Trump, as the refrain goes like: “State of the union/Shut the fuck up/Sorry ass motherfucker/Stay away from me.” The video also performs footage with video of protests, as well as police brutality and the killing of George Floyd.

“Our collective voices keep getting louder,” Chuck D said in a press release. “The rest of the planet is on our side. But it’s not enough to talk about change. You have to show up and demand change. Folks gotta vote like their lives depend on it, cause it does.” Flavor Flav added, “Public Enemy tells it like it is. It’s time for him to GO.”

Two months after April Fools Day, the band dropped their new song. “There are more serious things in the world right now than April Fool’s jokes and dropping records,” Flav said. [2]

Public Enemy

Key Lyrics

Whatever it takes, rid this dictator

POTUS my tail, ass debater

Prime-time Preemo, rhyme-time crime

Like no other in this lifetime (Hey!)

White house killer, dead in lifelines

Vote this joke out, or die tryin'

Unprecedented, demented, many president'd

Nazi gestapo dictator defended (Hey!)

It's not what you think it's what you follow

Run for them jewels, drink from that bottle

Another four years gonna gut y'all hollow

Gutted out, dried up, broke and can't borrow (Hey!) [3]

Black Empowerment

Public Enemy set the standard of their protest anthems, with their previous protest song boomed, Fight the Power, their new song Fight the Power goes the same and took aim as a cultural pillar. [4]

Produced by DJ Premier, State of the Union (STFU) was voicing about anti-Trump accompanied with the video footage of the mass protests in response to the killing of George Floyd, “a fiery return to the frontlines as they take on Donald Trump and his fascist regime,” according to a new press release.

Speaking about the track, Chuck D said: “Our collective voices keep getting louder. The rest of the planet is on our side. “But it’s not enough to talk about change. You have to show up and demand change. Folks gotta vote like their lives depend on it, ‘cause it does.”

Flavor Flav added: “Public Enemy tells it like it is. It’s time for him to GO.” [5]

References

  1. Peters, Mitchell. Public Enemy Returns With Anti-Trump ‘State of the Union (STFU)’ Song: Watch. Billboard. June 20, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2021
  2. Minsker, Monroe. Public Enemy Share New Song “State of the Union (STFU)”: Listen. Pitchfork. June 19, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2021
  3. State of the Union (STFU) Public Enemy. Genius. Retrieved January 18, 2021
  4. J. Moore, Marcus. Public Enemy Excoriates President Trump On 'State Of The Union (STFU)'. June 19, 2020. NPR. Retrieved January 18, 2021
  5. Aubrey, Elizabeth. Public Enemy return with explosive new anti-Trump song, ‘State of the Union (STFU)’. June 19, 2020. NME. Retrieved January 18, 2021