Playlist 1: Music For The Revolution
Our first playlist, for “anyone that wants a change to come”, features Lupe Fiasco, Nas, Kendrick Lamar and Janelle Monáe
The Revolution won’t be televised — but no one said anything about it being streamed.
“Music For The Revolution” is the first playlist bought to you by The Renaissance Project editors, Juwan J. Holmes and Paul K. Barnes. We intend this installation to be for anyone that wants a change to come, anyone that wants freedom for all.
It’s easy to say that the ‘current moment’ spurred this theme, but we know that any revolutionary aspirations comes following a long line of radical thought, controversial happenings, and daring artistry.
That’s why you’ll find songs as far back as 1964 in this compilation, and some far outside the ‘traditional’ realm of hip hop. We hope for this to be an evergreen cluster that everyone can visit when they want to feel comfortable outside the box.
“Music For the Revolution” prominently features artists such as Lupe Fiasco, Nas, Kendrick Lamar, and Janelle Monáe. You will also find releases by ScHoolboy Q, Radiant Children, Ludacris, Joey Bada$$, The Notorious B.I.G., Pharrell, Nirvana and Noname throughout. We have made this playlist with a specific order, but you can enjoy it seamlessly on shuffle as well.
More from The Renaissance: Reconsidered: Watch The Throne — Paul K. Barnes & Juwan J. Holmes
Below find the transcribed 85-song tracklist, plus access to the playlist on Apple Music, TIDAL, Spotify, and YouTube Music. Additionally, you can find the link to the playlist on Soundiiz, where you can convert or save the playlist to your preferred music services. As always, we recommend the uncensored, deluxe album editions of each songs except where noted or not applicable.
- “What’s Going On” — Marvin Gaye, What’s Going On
- “F**k da Police” — N.W.A. — Straight Outta Compton
- “American Terrorist” — Lupe Fiasco feat. Matthew Santos — Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor
- “Black Skinhead” — Kanye West — Yeezus
- “MY POWER” — Beyoncé feat. Tierra Whack, Moonchild Sanelly, Yemi Alade, Busiswa, and Nija — The Lion King: The Gift
- “I Can” — Nas — God’s Son
- “I Am” — Jorja Smith — Black Panther: The Album
- “Ungodly Hour” — Chloe x Halle — Ungodly Hour
- “What’s Up Danger” — Blackway & Black Caviar — Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Soundtrack)
- “You Can’t Stop Us Now” — Nas feat. The Last Poets — Untitled/Nas
- “My Way Home” — Kanye West feat. Common — Late Registration
- “Streets On Fire” — Lupe Fiasco — Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool
- “They Don’t Care About Us” — Michael Jackson — HiStory: Past, Present and Future Book I
- “X” — Schoolboy Q, 2 Chainz, and Saudi — Black Panther: The Album
- “Hip Hop Is Dead” — Nas feat. will.i.am — Hip Hop Is Dead
- “Alright” — Kendrick Lamar — To Pimp A Butterfly
- “Never Let Me Down” — Kanye West feat. JAY-Z & J-Ivy — The College Dropout
- “Notorious Thugs” — The Notorious B.I.G. — Life After Death
- “‘Till I Collapse” — Eminem feat. Nate Dogg — The Eminem Show
- “Go Left” — Radiant Children — TRYIN’ (EP)
- “XXX” — Kendrick Lamar feat. U2 — DAMN.
- “We the People…” — A Tribe Called Quest — We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service
- “Freedom” — Beyoncé feat. Kendrick Lamar — Lemonade
- “Princess of China” (Radio Edit) — Coldplay & Rihanna — Princess of China (EP)
- “Runaway Love” — Ludacris feat. Mary J. Blige — Release Therapy
- “Lost In The World” — Kanye West & Bon Iver — My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
- “Who Will Survive in America” — Kanye West — My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
- “FIND YOUR WAY BACK” — Beyoncé — The Lion King: The Gift
- “B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad) — Outkast — Stankonia
- “We Are Young” — fun. feat. Janelle Monáe — Some Nights
- “Let’s Go Crazy (Special Dance Edition)” — Prince & The Revolution — Purple Rain
- “FourFiveSeconds” — Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul McCartney
- “Leave Me Alone” — Michael Jackson — Bad
- “Invincible” — Aminé — Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Soundtrack)
- “Still Dreaming” — Nas feat. Kanye West & Chrisette Michele — Hip Hop Is Dead
- “Fighters” — Lupe Fiasco feat. Matthew Santos — Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool
- “You’re Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You)” — The Notorious B.I.G. — Life After Death
- “Don’t Don’t Do It!” — N.E.R.D. & Kendrick Lamar — NO ONE EVER REALLY DIES
- “Slap” — Ludacris — Release Therapy
- “Mad” — Solange feat. Lil Wayne — A Seat at the Table
- “Public Service Announcement (Interlude)” — JAY-Z — The Black Album
- “No Church in the Wild” — JAY-Z & Kanye West feat. Frank Ocean & The-Dream — Watch The Throne
- “Desperado” — Rihanna — ANTI
- “Song 32” — Noname
- “03' Bonnie & Clyde” — JAY-Z feat. Beyoncé — The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse
- “Cudi Montage” — KIDS SEE GHOSTS — KIDS SEE GHOSTS
- “Lost In Paradise” — Rihanna — Unapologetic
- “Gone” — Kanye West feat. Consequence & Cam’ron — Late Registration
- “Machine Gun Funk (Parliament Sample Removed)” — The Notorious B.I.G. — Ready to Die
- “1 Train” — A$AP Rocky feat. Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Action Bronson & Danny Brown — LONG.LIVE.A$AP
- “#HoodLove” — Jazmine Sullivan — Reality Show
- “Renegade” — JAY-Z feat. Eminem — The Blueprint
- “Chun-Li” — Nicki Minaj — Queen
- “Bitch Better Have My Money” — Rihanna
- “Start a Riot” — DUCKWRTH & Shaboozey — Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Soundtrack)
- “FOR MY PEOPLE” — Joey Bada$$ — ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$
- “Terrorist Threats” — Ab-Soul feat. Danny Brown & Jhene Aiko — Control System
- “Hero” — Nas feat. Keri Hilson — Untitled/Nas
- “Jesus Walks” — Kanye West — Late Registration
- “Rock ’n’ Roll” — Taylor Bennett feat. Zxxk — Be Yourself (EP)
- “Strange Clouds” — B.o.B. feat. Lil Wayne — Strange Clouds
- “Wild for the Night” — A$AP Rocky feat. Skrillex & Birdy Nam Nam— LONG.LIVE.A$AP
- “SUPER PREDATOR” — Joey Bada$$ feat. Styles P — ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$
- “Opps” — Vince Staples, Yugen Blakrok — Black Panther: The Album
- “Settle for Nothing” — Rage Against the Machine — Rage Against the Machine
- “Screwed” — Janelle Monáe feat. Zoë Kravitz — Dirty Computer
- “F.U.B.U.” — Solange feat. The-Dream & BJ the Chicago Kid — A Seat at the Table
- “Hold Down the Block” — Nas — Hip Hop Is Dead
- “Lockdown (Remix)” — Anderson .Paak feat. JID, Noname & Jay Rock — Lockdown (Remix Bundle) (EP)
- “Fight the Power” — Public Enemy — Fear of a Black Planet
- “Killing In the Name” — Rage Against the Machine — Rage Against the Machine
- “F**k the Industry” — Solange — Sol-Angel & The Hadley St. Dreams
- “The Bigger Picture” — Lil Baby
- “Crazy, Classic, Life” — Janelle Monáe — Dirty Computer
- “Grown Up Fairy Tales” — Taylor Bennett & Mike WiLL Made-it feat. Chance the Rapper & Jeremih — Restoration of an American Idol
- “Stereo Hearts” — Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine — The Paperback Chronicles II
- “Like Toy Soldiers” — Eminem — Encore
- “Murder to Excellence” — JAY-Z & Kanye West — Watch the Throne
- “Forever Black America Again” — Common feat. Gucci Mane, Pusha T & BJ the Chicago Kid
- “Americans” — Janelle Monáe feat. Zoë Kravitz — Dirty Computer
- “Take the Power Back” — Rage Against the Machine — Rage Against the Machine
- “Lithium” — Nirvana — Nevermind
- “A Rebellion” — Ab-Soul feat. Alori Joh — Control System
- “Freedom” — Pharrell Williams
- “A Change Is Gonna Come” — Sam Cooke — A Change Is Gonna Come (EP)