"Riot"
Single by XXXTentacion
Released
  • May 1, 2015 (SoundCloud)
  • June 1, 2020 (Empire re-release)
Recorded2015
Genre
Length1:19[lower-alpha 1]
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Luke White
XXXTentacion singles chronology
"Bad Vibes Forever"
(2019)		 "Riot"
(2020)		 "Vice City"
(2022)

"Riot" is a song by American rapper XXXTentacion. It was originally released on SoundCloud in May 2015, before being re-released posthumously for streaming services on June 1, 2020, amid the George Floyd protests.[1] The re-released version is slightly shorter than the original, cutting a large portion of a speech from former Ku Klux Klan leader Jeff Berry, which was used to point out the rising danger of racism, homophobia, and antisemitism in the United States.[2]

Background

The track was originally released in May 2015, after protests of the killing of Michael Brown.[1][3] The song was then released on streaming services in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed.[4]

Composition

On the song, XXXTentacion is critical of the practice of rioting, while also denouncing racist and homophobic rhetoric from hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan.[5] Uproxx's Derick Rossignol noted how X expresses his belief that rioters often don't consider the consequences of their actions: "Look in all the stores you wreckin', nigga, I reckon / Think about the people who own it for 'bout a second / I know you got your problems, but brother, they got theirs / This is not a game, quit violence and grow a pair". However, X also sympathizes with the frustration of those rioting after instances of police brutality: "But I won't dare say that you should stop the fuckin' ignorance / Murder opps, killin' shit, I'd enjoy the thrill of it / Bathe in blood of officers, different corpses, offin' 'em". The song ends with dialogue from former KKK leader Jeff Berry's speech during a rally, which was featured in the 1998 documentary The Ku Klux Klan: A Secret History: "We see, I see, death before the children / White guys and white girls hanging from the buildings". The original song sampled more of the speech.[1]

Music video

The track was featured in the 2017 music video for Onfroy's 2015 track "Look at Me".[6][7][8]

Charts

Chart (2020) Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[9] 1

Notes

  1. ↑ 2:05 for the original 2015 SoundCloud release.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "XXXTentacion's 2015 Song 'Riot' Has Been Re-Released On Streaming Services In Light Of The Protests". Uproxx. 5 June 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  2. ↑ "XXXTentacion Leads 'F— the KKK' Chant During Concert [VIDEO]".
  3. ↑ "XXXTentacion's Song "Riot" Added to Streaming Services". UrbanIslandz. 9 June 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  4. ↑ "XXXTentacion "Riot" Added To Streaming Services During Protests". HotNewHipHop. 5 June 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  5. ↑ "XXXTentacion Starts 'F*ck the KKK!' Chant at Revenge Tour Show". Complex Networks.
  6. ↑ "XXXTENTACION - Look At Me! (Official Video) - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
  7. ↑ "XXXTENTACION Gets Hung In The "Look At Me!" Video". HotNewHipHop. 12 September 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Música "Riot" do XXXTentacion é disponibilizada oficialmente em serviços de streaming". Rap 24 Horas. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Hot Singles Chart". The Official New Zealand Music Chart. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
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