15 Greatest Protest Songs Of The 21st Century

15. Killer Mike - "Reagan"

Key Lyrics: "We should be indicted for the bullsh*t we inciting // Hand the children death and pretend that it's exciting"

Released in 2012, "Reagan" is a rare example of nonpartisanship protest music that abstains from attacking one particular side of the aisle. Although Killer Mike makes allusions to every leader the United States has elected into office since 1981, when everything's said and done, this is song is as much an indictment of his own community as it is politics.

Every verse has two sides to it. On one hand, he criticizes the country for having no genuine leaders, only a "talking head" to speak on behalf of "the real masters." But just as quickly, he turns the words on himself and his fellow rappers, and shoulders some of the blame for leading the nation's youth astray. In a way, "Reagan" is a protest against some of his own work.

But don't call it a protest song. At least not to Killer Mike's face.

In an interview with Spin magazine, the emcee explained, in the most refreshingly direct way possible, why it bothers him when people refer to him as a political rapper: "I don’t care too much for any political party. I care about people."