Videos by According2HipHop
From the jump, hip hop’s been about truth-telling — calling out the powers that be, even if it ruffled feathers. And while a lot of artists have vented about shady label deals and corporate greed, a few took it a step further, dropped the mic with names attached, and walked away better for it.
Here are four times rappers called out the industry — and won.
GZA – “Labels” (1995)
On Liquid Swords, GZA flipped the script with “Labels,” a track that sounds like a rap seminar on the shady music biz. He weaved in the names of real labels like Def Jam, Cold Chillin’, Tommy Boy, and Epic, while breaking down exactly how they exploit artists. This wasn’t just wordplay — it was a warning.
At the time, hip hop was blowing up commercially, and Wu-Tang was redefining what power looked like in rap. “Labels” became a blueprint for moving smart, keeping your masters, and never signing blind. GZA didn’t just call out the system — he gave game to the next wave.
Mos Def – “The R*pe Over”
Mos Def (now Yasiin Bey) didn’t hold back on “The R*pe Over.” Over the same beat as Jay-Z’s “Takeover,” Mos made it clear that the culture was being pimped out by the same corporations that didn’t care about its roots. “Old white men is runnin’ this rap s–t,” he spit — no metaphors needed.
He even name-dropped Lyor Cohen, Viacom, and AOL-Time Warner — not exactly subtle. The song got pulled from later versions of The New Danger, likely because it made the suits uncomfortable. But the message stuck: hip hop wasn’t just being influenced, it was being bought — and sold.
Tech N9ne – “The Industry Is Punks”
Tech N9ne’s career is proof that you don’t need a major label cosign to win big. And on “The Industry Is Punks,” he made his feelings crystal clear. This track off Absolute Power came right after he cut ties with JCOR Records, and it’s a full-on declaration of war against industry politics.
Rather than play the game, Tech built his own. Strange Music became a powerhouse, and Tech toured harder than most rappers with radio deals. In the end, calling out the industry wasn’t a gamble — it was a game plan. And it worked.
Nas – “Hip Hop Is Dead” (2006)
When Nas dropped Hip Hop Is Dead, it lit a fire under the whole game. Some thought he was taking shots at the South. Others thought he was pointing at ringtone rap and label interference. The truth? He was doing all of that — and more.
The title track was a lament and a challenge: where’s the substance? Where’s the storytelling? It wasn’t just nostalgia; Nas was pushing the culture to do better. The backlash was loud, but so was the conversation. And a few years later, Nas was back with King’s Disease and a Grammy on the shelf — proving the culture wasn’t dead, it just needed a wake-up call.
These artists didn’t just vent — they made moments. They put the industry on blast, stood on business, and still came out respected, independent, and often ahead of their time. In a world where image is everything, telling the truth like this? That’s legacy work.
