Animal in Man

Illustration by Ralph Steadman

With scenes of Jim Crow’s rural South fresh in my mind from a recent reading of Richard Wright’s autobiography, Blackboy, I finished up a painting and listened to music. Deep in thought, the music didn’t fully catch me until the lyrics of Dead Prez’s "Animal in Man" played. The rural setting of the song - a black militant hip hop rendition of Orwell’s Animal Farm - made it particularly poignant. It was a moment that brought to clarity this vague opinion that had been forming all these years. Although I’d heard it countless times, it was then that I decided:

It is one of the best hip hop songs of all time.

The first reason this argument needs to be taken seriously is the thoughtfulness of the subject matter. The duo tell their version of Animal Farm; where the animals revolt against their violent slave master only to be once again enslaved by one of their own. The biggest difference in the two forms is that Dead Prez have more faith in the oppressed. When the pigs start to become dictators, Orwell’s farm can’t be sure what’s happening. But in this version they are instantly aware.

The next reason is the quality of the song itself. Rhymes are never sacrificed for the sake of the story. Nor are any unnecessary words added to make a rhyme. The lyrics are uniformly consistent, never veering from their tale. The delivery is good enough to be listened to A capella, while the enunciation is clear at all times. And the beat, although not worthy of the title of the best on it’s own, completes the song’s overall deservedness. With it’s variety of live instruments, it is intricate yet not too busy, allowing the lyrics shine while adding to the dynamism.

Although I have a number of issues with Dead Prez on the whole, I wouldn’t hesitate to include "Animal in Man" on my limited list.