Is it genocide?
Cause I can still hear his mama cry

from Kanye West (Ft. Jay-Z) – Murder to Excellence Lyrics on Rap Genius

Kanye wonders if black-on-black crime (and society’s complicity in it) can be likened to a genocide, which is technically defined as “the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group”

The historian Ward Churchill reminds us that genocide, by its legal definition, has existed in America since its first settlement by whites — that is, genocide against the native population. See here for a brief list of historical genocides, including mention of the trans-Atlantic slave trade

To help improve the meaning of these lyrics, visit "Murder to Excellence" by Kanye West (Ft. Jay-Z) Lyrics and leave a comment on the lyrics box