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The Black Dystopia of Free the Robots
Capital Steez's song Free the Robots is a tune that's been haunting my mind for the past few years. Everything from the lyrics to the vocals and rhythm is perfectly carried out. I never got to listen to any of Steez's music while he was still alive, mostly because I was still in elementary school when his career started and had ZERO interest in hip-hop at the time. Even now I'm still pedantic about the rap I choose to listen to. Capital Steez however blew me away with his 2012 masterpiece.
First thing first: I have to get credit to the producer responsible for the music, free the Robots. The original song is called Dear Diary and was released in 2007. Steez would later rap over the beat when he “borrowed” it for his single. The reason for the quotations is that the music producer Free the Robots never got properly credited for the song and many people attribute the beat to Steez rather than them. With that said, the music has an ominous and foreboding vibe to it that pairs well with Steez's cynical lyrics. It immediately lets listeners know they're in for a spooky ride.
Steez uses his lyrical wit to paint a grim picture of American society, particularly, the reality that many black Americans have to face. They also reflect Steez's deteriorating mental health and growing disillusionment with the world. Let's get started with the first verse:
"Illuminati tryin' to read my mind with a eagle eye
And the haze got me thinkin', why
We killed Osama and plenty innocent people died
We should see the signs, but we Stevie blind"
This is a blatant attack on America's war-mongering attitude. Osama's death was greatly celebrated, but the countless people who lost their lives in the name of war were treated as just a statistic. There is no glory in war. It's just senseless murder and yet people treat it as a noble cause. Wake up and stop the violence.
"No disrespect to the man or the legend, but
I'm sick and tired of askin' my brethren if
It all ends in 2011
Would God come through or would he actually forget us?
Cause, apocalypse is getting closer
But they're more focused on that lil youth sippin' soda
Fuck the sugar act, n*ggas out pushin' crack
And I lost my father figure because of that"
There used to be a common conspiracy that the world would end in 2012 and perhaps this weighed on Steez's paranoid mind. It's been noted that Steez had a very warped view of reality fueled by an eclectic blend of spiritual beliefs so it wouldn't surprise me if he genuinely believed an apocalypse was coming. Ironically, Steez ended his life two days after the world was predicted to end. He then goes on to call out how the government would rather tax the poor instead of dealing with the serious issues plaguing communities. The last line is especially brutal if you know that Steez lost his dad at age 3 so he basically lost two father figures in his short lifespan. Even though Steez acknowledges that drugs destroy communities, he himself was a very casual drug user and that only worsened his already crumbling mental state.
"So can I live? or is my brother tryin' to gun me down
Scuffle a couple of rounds 'til we hear the thunder sound
No lightening, clash of the titans
And after the violence a moment of silence
Cause I want mine the fast way
The ski mask way, lookin' for a fast pay
And instead of stickin' up for each other
Pickin' up guns and stickin' up our brothers
So fuck 'em all, I'm comin' through ragin'
And I won't stop 'til Reagan is caged in
Mom tell me I should let the Lord handle it
The arm of the law is tryin' to man-handle us
A man's world, but a white man's planet
And the doors are slowly closing while we fallin' through the cracks of it
It's a shame that flippin' crack will be
The best alternative if you don't make it rappin'
These crack houses and trap houses are trappin' us in
And in the end we're gonna remain stagnant
I ain't havin' it"
There's so much to digest with the second verse but the general idea is that the black community is self-destructing while also being under attack from white patriarchal society. Black On black violence is a topic often used as a tool to justify racist hatred, but here, Steez expresses genuine empathy. All too often are black people getting killed by their own members, by people who are supposed to have their backs. A life of drugs and violence is treated like the only option afforded to black people if they don't make it into the entertainment or sports industry. Steez is practically urging the listener to not become another statistic and to do something more with your life. This is your wake-up call.
12 years later, Free the Robots has a message that remains relevant even today. There are many people who are slumbering, completely blind to the poisons rotting society. Steez made it clear that the responsibility of changing the world lies upon those who are aware it needs to be saved. It's a shame that he lived such a short life, but it's clear that there was incredible acuity in his soul. Rest in peace.