Beastie Boys said it best when they shouted, “YOU GOT TO FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO Party.” We’ve all been there at one point in our lives or another. Whether it was a house party with a bunch of your closest friends and family or in a crowded and disgusting frat basement in college. The cops have shown up and whether you’ve known about it or not, someone received a fine or a ticket and for what? For just trying to have some fun. Although, the Beastie Boys classic says it for us plainly in the title of the Song, there’s another song that discusses this same sense of deserving the right to party.

The song that I have in mind is Mayor Hawthorne’s “Crime – Vice Remix” featuring rap sensation, Kendrick Lamar. If you’ve never heard it before, be sure to listen to the link below as you read the post.

Mayer Hawthorne is a neo-soul musician with a unique Motown-style. Alternately, Kendrick Lamar is a rapper and songwriter. Mayer Hawthorne uses his smooth upbeat lyrical style in his newest single, “Crime (Vice Remix)” complimented with Kendrick Lamar’s raw vocals.  In Mayer Hawthorne’s commentary of the song, he explains that “Crime” is his equivalent of an N.W.A song, “Fuck Da Police.” It was inspired by the fact that often in Hawthorne’s early DJ’ing days, all of his parties would be busted by police resulting in citations and fines. He described his frustration with police interrupting the parties when everyone just wanted to have fun and no one was being hurt.It appeared that police portrayed having fun as equivalent to a “crime.”

Hawthorne’s short verse, “waterfront, sunshine, a little weed, a little red wine, then come the 5-0, citation, its illegal.” This lyric alone summarizes the subject of the song. The lyrics although specific to Hawthorne’s personal experience are successfully relate-able to all audiences. I’m not a police officer, so I can’t get into the logistics of these things but it does make you wonder “Officer, why are you busting this party that is just trying to have a good time when there are much bigger troubles going on in the world?”

Kendrick Lamar’s phenomenally ends the song with the  last line of “300 drunk motherfuckers in a holding cell.” I think this line is laughable because although the cops often come to break up parties or interrupt a good time, the most they give is a fine and immediate end of the party. No police officers would take the time to transport a party of “300 drunk motherfuckers” to a holding cell.