Burn Hollywood Burn

When Spike Lee was given an honorary Oscar at the 2015 Governors Awards, he had some pointed remarks for the attendees. ""It's easier to be the president of the United States as a black person than to be the head of a studio," he said. Lee was addressing the dearth of black representation in movies, a topic Public Enemy took on with their 1990 flamethrower "Burn Hollywood Burn." The song takes the movie industry to task for its portrayal of black culture, but they're not calling for sensitivity training or diversity initiatives since they have a more radical solution: burn it down. It's a metaphor, of course, but the point is that incremental change won't cut it - something that was proven when Lee made his speech. This problem demands a complete overhaul. Lee is namechecked in the song: So let's make our own movies like Spike Lee Cause the roles being offered don't strike me

Chuck D of Public Enemy cites the film Driving Miss Daisy in the lyrics as one the perpetuates the black stereotype Hollywood loves. The 1989 film, which won the Oscar for Best Picture, stars Morgan Freeman as a black driver who forms a friendship with his white employer, played by Jessica Tandy. This is a film beloved by white audiences that ignores the black perspective on race relations and oppression.

The line, "Step and fetch this s--t" is a reference to the black actor Stepin Fetchit, who often played a lazy, cartoonish character in many films, mostly in the 1930s and '40s.