“April 29, 1992 (Miami)” by Sublime

As the title implies, this song is mainly about the LA Riots which began following the Rodney King trial. The riots started after officers who were caught on tape assaulting Rodney King were charged not guilty.

In the song, the singer presents himself as one of the looters who took advantage of the chaos to steal things he needed. He begins his looting spree by first breaking into a liquor store, stealing what he could and then setting the place on fire. He then goes on to recount how he and a group of people broke into a music shop by simply shuttering its window with a brick, getting away with a P.A system and a guitar.

Before he returns home, he remembers that he needs some new furniture, and again goes back to loot, expressing that his living room looked better after that incident. The writer further explains how he recalls seeing other people including a mother and her child looting. The looting, although a by-product of the riots, was not necessarily about fighting for the injustice which had been done, but about breaking the law and taking advantage of the situation. The song ends with the narrator listing various locations who have begun rioting, urging them to continue.

“April 29, 1992 (Miami)” Facts

Writing: Sublime
Production: Exclusively by David Kahne
Album: Sublime’s final studio album entitled “Sublime”
Release Year: 1996

Was “April 29, 1992 (Miami)” a single-release?

No. The band’s “Sublime” album produced only these official singles:

• “Doin’ Time”
• “Wrong Way”
• “Santeria”
• “What I Got”

The L.A. Riots of 1992

In 1992, the vicious beating of a Black civilian by five White Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers was caught on video. However, said officers were all acquitted in the court of law. This verdict, along with racial tensions that were already present in Los Angeles, manifested in widespread rioting and looting. During the six-day event, over 60 people lost their lives. But the most-notable aspect of the event was the mass destruction of property. Indeed at the end of the day, it took the intervention of national and federal troops to neutralize the situation, as the LAPD itself had been overwhelmed.