John Mars, known as 2 Black 2 Strong, is an American rapper who recorded in the early 1990s.[1][2] He is best known for his song "Burn Baby Burn", about the right to burn the American flag.[3][4] He led a crew of rappers, MMG (Militant Manhattan Gangsters or Mighty Motherfuckin' Gangsters), which appeared on many of his tracks.
Early life
edit2 Black 2 Strong is the professional name of John Mars.[2] He was 22 years old in January 1991, so he was likely born in 1968.[1]
Career
editBurn Baby Burn EP
edit"Burn Baby Burn,"[A] recorded in 1990, features a guest verse from Chuck D.[2] The song, about the right to burn the American flag, was controversial. A pressing plant, Sonopress, refused to press it, and Musicland and Sam Goody refused to carry it.[5] The song was released on an EP of the same name by Effect/Clappers. Robert Christgau, in The Village Voice, gave it an honorable mention rating, specifically highlighting "Burn Baby Burn."[6] Gregory Lee Johnson, an activist who had a flag-burning conviction overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States, introduces the song.[2][7][B]
Doin' Hard Time on Planet Earth
edit2 Black 2 Strong, backed by MMG, released his debut album in 1991 on Relativity Records. Doin' Hard Time on Planet Earth received positive reviews from critics. Alex Henderson, in AllMusic, gave it a 4-star rating (out of 5) and called it "one of the strongest -- and most unjustly neglected -- rap releases of 1991... a riveting, gutsy work that makes its share of highly valid points when addressing social and political issues."[9] Henderson went on to write that "unfortunately, as the '90s progressed, 2 Black 2 Strong remained undeservedly obscure."[9] Christgau also praised the album, awarding it a B+ grade and writing: "The music of this Harlem crew is loud beats anchored to spare guitar, the hip hop obverse of death metal if death metal didn't always strain for drama... Without reveling in brutality for its own sake, they state the amoral facts as they understand them--or misunderstand them, if it makes any difference."[6] One track, "War on Drugs," addresses the possibility of the federal government's role in the crack epidemic.[10][11]
Discography
editReferences
editNotes
edit- ^ For other songs with the same title, see Burn Baby Burn.
- ^ Parenthetically, in the United States, the Supreme Court of the United States has recognized flag burning as being protected by the First Amendment. On 21 June 1989, a 5-4 "deeply divided' court upheld the rights of protesters to burn the American flag in Texas v. Johnson, a landmark First Amendment decision.[8]
Citations
edit- ^ a b Geller, Lynn (1 January 1991). "2 Black 2 Strong by Lynn Geller". BOMB. bombmagazine.org. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d Harrington, Richard (8 August 1990). "THE PUBLIC ENEMY DOCUDRAMA". The Washington Post.
- ^ Vile 2018, p. 66.
- ^ SPIN Media, LLC 1990, p. 30.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: A Togetherness Kind of Thing: 2 Black 2 Strong". www.robertchristgau.com.
- ^ a b c d Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: 2 Black 2 Strong". www.robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Dubin 1992, p. 334.
- ^ NCC Staff (21 June 2019). "When the Supreme Court ruled to allow American flag burning". National Constitution Center. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
- ^ a b c Henderson, Alex. "AllMusic listing". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- ^ Perkins 1996, p. 154.
- ^ Kelley 1996, p. 283.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Relativity/Clappers".
Bibliography
edit- Dubin, Steven C. (15 June 1992). Arresting Images: Impolitic Art and Uncivil Actions. London New York: Psychology Press, Routledge. p. 334. ISBN 9780415908931 – via Google Books.
- Kelley, Robin (1 June 1996). Race Rebels: Culture, Politics, And The Black Working Class. New York: Free Press, Distributed by Simon and Schuster. p. 283. ISBN 9781439105047 – via Google Books.
- Perkins, William Eric (15 June 1996). Droppin' Science: Critical Essays on Rap Music and Hip Hop Culture. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Temple University Press. p. 154. ISBN 9781566393621 – via Google Books.
- SPIN Media, LLC (15 December 1990). "Burn on the 4th of July". SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. p. 30 – via Google Books.
- Vile, John R. (31 October 2018). The American Flag: An Encyclopedia of the Stars and Stripes in U.S. History, Culture, and Law. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. p. 66. ISBN 9781440857898 – via Google Books.
External links
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