New Slaves

New Slaves

Kanye's song "New Slaves" is riddled with symbolisms of oppressions. The song can refer to how creative geniuses, such as Kanye, can be held down by corporate power. "New Slaves" can also symbolize how humanity is being controlled, limited, and brainwashed. When he raps,

"Fuck you and your corporation/ Y'all niggas can't control me"

he rebels against the corporations attempts to control him. He then goes to repeat,

"I know that we the new slaves."

Kanye wants to get the point across that although previously Blacks were slave to America's "peculiar institution", blacks are now slaves to big corporations and businesses such as Nike. Kanye expresses his feelings towards modern media by saying

"See they'll confuse us with some bullshit / Like the New World Order."

He believes that the media is distracting audiences with false conspiracy theories like the Illuminati. Kanye west raps on the stereotypes imposed on the black community and expands on the oppression of black Americans when he says

"Meanwhile the DEA/ Teamed up with the CCA."

Kanye wants to make it known that the oppression of African Americans due the CCA as well as other for-profit organizations that gain copious revenue through the increase in prison population. There are more African- American adults under correctional control than were slaves in 1850s. The incarceration of blacks is so high that 1 in 3 Black men born in America today can expect to serve time behind bars. Through this song, Kanye makes it known that through todays growing society Blacks have moved from iron chains to chains made of gold. He highlights how no individual is free, and how each person is a slave to objects, such as money and fame.