Hell No We Ain't All Right!
Encyclopedia
"Hell No We Ain't All Right!" is a protest song
released by hip hop
group Public Enemy within weeks of Hurricane Katrina
, criticizing President George W. Bush
and his administration for his response to the catastrophe, and for wider administration policies. The song specifically links the poor response to the hurricane to the commitment of resources to the war in Iraq, and to the social status of most victims of the disaster. The song was reportedly written by Chuck D
on September 2, 2005 and reunited Flavor Flav
with Public Enemy for its recording over Labor Day
weekend. The premier public performance was on the Morning Sedition
radio show, on September 16, 2005.
In addition to Bush and the Bush administration, the song also levels barbs at Pat Robertson
(who had recently called for the assassination
of Venezuela
n president Hugo Chávez
), Halliburton
, and the characterization of blacks as looters following the catastrophe.
The refrain of the song repeats the line, "New Orleans in the morning, afternoon, and night/Hell No We Ain't All Right". Similar themes were explored in a contemporaneous song, "George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People
", a remix of Kanye West
's "Gold Digger
" by "The Legendary K.O.", which was widely circulated on the internet following Hurricane Katrina.
Protest song
A protest song is a song which is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of topical songs . It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre...
released by hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group Public Enemy within weeks of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, criticizing President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and his administration for his response to the catastrophe, and for wider administration policies. The song specifically links the poor response to the hurricane to the commitment of resources to the war in Iraq, and to the social status of most victims of the disaster. The song was reportedly written by Chuck D
Chuck D
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.- Early life :Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York...
on September 2, 2005 and reunited Flavor Flav
Flavor Flav
William Jonathan Drayton, Jr. , better known by his stage name Flavor Flav, is an American rapper and television personality who rose to prominence as a member of the rap group Public Enemy...
with Public Enemy for its recording over Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
weekend. The premier public performance was on the Morning Sedition
Morning Sedition
Morning Sedition was a three-hour radio program that premiered April 1, 2004 and ran until December 16, 2005, in the United States. It was hosted by comedian Marc Maron and New York radio veteran Mark Riley. Prior to June 2004, the show was also hosted by radio and television journalist Sue...
radio show, on September 16, 2005.
In addition to Bush and the Bush administration, the song also levels barbs at Pat Robertson
Pat Robertson
Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson is a media mogul, television evangelist, ex-Baptist minister and businessman who is politically aligned with the Christian Right in the United States....
(who had recently called for the assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
of Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n president Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
), Halliburton
Halliburton
Halliburton is the world's second largest oilfield services corporation with operations in more than 70 countries. It has hundreds of subsidiaries, affiliates, branches, brands and divisions worldwide and employs over 50,000 people....
, and the characterization of blacks as looters following the catastrophe.
The refrain of the song repeats the line, "New Orleans in the morning, afternoon, and night/Hell No We Ain't All Right". Similar themes were explored in a contemporaneous song, "George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People
George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People
"George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People" is a protest song by hip-hop duo The Legendary K.O. It was released on September 6, 2005, just days after Hurricane Katrina. The song is available free on the Internet. The song was a single first made available from FWMJ's Rappers I Know website...
", a remix of Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
's "Gold Digger
Gold Digger
"Gold Digger" is a song recorded by American rapper Kanye West featuring guest vocals by Jamie Foxx. Released as the second single from West's second album, Late Registration, "Gold Digger" peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on September 6, 2005, becoming West's and Foxx's second...
" by "The Legendary K.O.", which was widely circulated on the internet following Hurricane Katrina.