| "Riot" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single byXXXTentacion | ||||
| Released |
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| Recorded | 2015 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 1:19[a] | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriter | ||||
| Producer | Luke White | |||
| XXXTentacion singles chronology | ||||
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"Riot" is a song by American rapper and singerXXXTentacion. It was originally released onSoundCloud in May 2015, before being re-released posthumously for streaming services on June 1, 2020, amid theGeorge Floyd protests.[1] The re-released version is slightly shorter than the original, cutting a large portion of a speech from formerKu Klux Klan leader Jeff Berry, which was used to point out the rising danger ofracism,homophobia, andantisemitism in the United States.[2]
The track was originally released in May 2015, after protests of thekilling of Michael Brown.[1][3] The song was then released on streaming services in 2020 following themurder of George Floyd andthe protests that followed.[4] On the song, XXXTentacion is critical of the practice ofrioting, while also denouncingracist andhomophobic rhetoric fromhate groups such as theKu Klux Klan.[5]Uproxx's Derick Rossignol noted how X expresses his belief that rioters often don't consider the consequences of their actions: "Look in all the stores you wreckin', nigga, I reckon / Think about the people who own it for 'bout a second / I know you got your problems, but brother, they got theirs / This is not a game, quit violence and grow a pair". However, X also sympathizes with the frustration of those rioting after instances ofpolice brutality: "But I won't dare say that you should stop the fuckin' ignorance / Murder opps, killin' shit, I'd enjoy the thrill of it / Bathe in blood of officers, different corpses, offin' 'em".The song ends with dialogue from former KKK leaderJeff Berry's speech during a rally, which was featured in the 1998 documentaryThe Ku Klux Klan: A Secret History: "We see, I see, death before the children / White guys and white girls hanging from the buildings". The original song sampled more of the speech.[1]
The track was featured in the 2017 music video for Onfroy's 2015 track "Look at Me".[6][7][8]
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[9] | 1 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[10] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[11] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
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