Boots Riley has spent nearly his entire adult life challenging the system, defending the marginalized, and giving voice to the outraged, predominately through the Coup, the Oakland-based hip-hop group he's led since the early '90s. Though Riley is active on many fronts—as a speaker, writer, and community organizer—the Coup has served as his most effective vehicle, blending catchy East Bay funk and hip-hop beats underneath Riley's raspy flow. Riley's lyrics can at times read like a civics lesson in urban economics and dialectical materialism, but he still manages to keep it street. Longtime cohort DJ Pam the Funkstress doesn't go on the road with the group, but the backing band that tours as the Coup can always be counted on to put on a dynamic show, bringing punk rock ethos and energy to hip-hop. Given the way this presidential election is shaping up, I doubt I'm the only one wishing Boots Riley would consider an independent run. If a democratic socialist can make a serious bid for the presidency, why not a Marxist-Leninist? SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY