"Riot" (Often stylized in all caps) 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]
"Riot" | ||||
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Single by XXXTentacion | ||||
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Recorded | 2015 | |||
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Length | 1:19[lower-alpha 1] | |||
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Producer(s) | Luke White | |||
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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]
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]
The track was featured in the 2017 music video for Onfroy's 2015 track "Look at Me".[6][7][8]
Chart (2020) | Peak position |
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New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[9] | 1 |
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