Post Hurricane Katrina in 2005, there was a lot of talk in the hip hop world about how the African American community in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast had been treated unfairly.

Perhaps the most famous, was Kanye West who declared that "George Bush doesn't care about black people." Also, in lyrical form, Mos Def commented on the injustices as well in the song "Dollar Day." In this song Mos Def comments on the way blacks were treated during and after the storm, and is critical of the government's reaction.

This for the streets, the streets everywhere
The streets affected by the storm called... America
I'm doin this for y'all, and for me, for the Creator

God save, these streets
One dollar per every human being
Feel that Katrina clap
See that Katrina clap

Listen, homie, it's Dollar Day in New Orleans
It's water water everywhere and people dead in the streets
And Mr. President he bout that cash
He got a policy for handlin the niggaz and trash

Kanye and Mos Def weren't the only ones who voiced opinions in the time after the storm. And, while Kanye has received a lot of attention (both praise and criticism) for his remarks about the President, he stands by his words. Again, the main concept of political hip hop is giving a voice to those who don't have one. These artists used their level of fame to rap (or speak) about something that many average people were saying, but weren't being heard. At the end of his song, Mos Def raps "Don't talk about it, be about it": one last reminder to voice your opinion and actively fight for change.