10 Best Crime Ballads according to BABii

BABii, the boundary-pushing British artist known for channelling her emotion through hyperpop-infused electronic music, has returned with the album, 'DareDeviil2000'. 

Never one to shy away from confronting her inner demons (see previous works 'MiiRROR' and 'SCREAMER') on 'DareDeviil2000', BABii excavates even more of herself for her artistry, going so far as to step inside the suits of the demons themselves.

"When I was in the planning phases of 'DareDeviil2000', crime and murder ballads were one of many things I deep-dived," BABii explains. "On my previous album 'SCREAMER', I found a lot of creative satisfaction in singing from the perspective of other people rather than myself, and I wanted to continue exploring that. These ballads became a perfect reference point, as they are often sung from the viewpoint of the murderer or criminal. This inspired me to frame the theme of each song in a way that allowed the villain to speak directly through the songwriting. Since 'DareDeviil2000' is a journey through the circles of hell and the villains who dwell there, exploring crime and murder ballads was more than a perfect fit."

Diving into the term itself, BABii clarifies that she uses "Crime Ballads" instead of just "Murder Ballads" because the songs I explore go beyond the traditional scope of what would be considered a "Murder Ballad", which would be often associated with Appalachian country music and medieval balladeers that focus specifically on telling the tale of a Murder. A Crime Ballad, on the other hand, can be defined as a narrative-driven song centred around any kind of crime, and sung from the perspective of the perpetrator, though not always exclusively.

Crime ballads can be described as the original true crime podcast. They originated in medieval Britain and served not only as a way to inform people about current events, like real-life murders but also as a form of entertainment. These ballads spread the news to a wide audience, which didn't even exclude those who were illiterate while adding an element of sensationalism—something that is still very much a part of the true crime genre today.

There are so many to choose from but for now, here are 10 of the most interesting crime ballads I could think of, starting from their origins and finding their way into the present day."

Buckle up, it's deep-dive time...

"This was the first murder ballad I heard with the understanding of what a murder ballad actually is. It was featured in an episode of the podcast Dolly Parton's America, and I was captivated by the story surrounding it. The song itself details the murder of a girl with golden locks from the perspective of the killer himself and what's more interesting to me is the journey this song has been on.

Murder ballads are pretty deeply entwined with Appalachian Music and Country Music because of the migration of people from Northern Ireland, Northern England, and Southern Scotland to Appalachia in the 1700s and bringing murder ballads with them. There are countless versions of this song, with the most famous being by The Louvin Brothers, released in 1956. That was long after what is believed to be its first incarnation in 17th Century England when it went by the title "The Bloody Miller or Hanged I Shall Be" Fast forward just over fifty years, change a few names, add some new details, and you get it evolves into "The Berkshire Tragedy". Then in the 19th Century, it transformed into the certified hood classic "Wessex Girl". Finally, it then makes its way across the Atlantic where it reaches its final form as Knoxville Girl.

Well, it's not quite as simple as that, but you get the idea. This song has clearly fascinated people for centuries, along with many other Murder Ballads, that as you now know, stretch far beyond the Appalachian mountains. On a side note - I personally like the Jimmy Martin version because the album cover goes so goddam hard."

"This is yet another song with an incredible number of versions—apparently, there are over 200 renditions of it. Unlike Knoxville Girl, its origins trace back to America’s Gilded Age (1870s-1890s) and takes place in St. Louis, Missouri, rather than medieval England. What fascinates me most about this song is the interpretations of the story it’s based on. And as you might expect with a song with so many versions, despite telling the same story, no two versions can ever agree on the details.

There’s so much speculative lore and superstition surrounding this song that reading about it feels like getting tangled in a web of far-fetched connections—but don’t get me wrong, I kind of love it. The story centres around this cool-as-hell African American outlaw named Lee Shelton, also known as Stag Lee, Stack Lee, Stagger Lee, Stagolee, or even Stack-O-Lee. One theory suggests that his name was inspired by a notorious riverboat called Stack Lee, which was infamous for its on-board prostitution and owned by the hell-raising James Lee. Adding to the intrigue, James Lee was known for fathering illegitimate children, often with Black or mixed-race women upon his boat, leading to speculation that Lee Shelton might have been his son.

Anyway, Lee Shelton-let's just call him 'Stag Lee'-was a pimp, but not just your regular run-of-the-mill pimp. He was an exuberant socialite, captain of a dubious black 400 club, and most and most notably, a member of a group pimps known as the Macks, who attracted attention through their flashy clothing and appearance. In the eyes of early folk and blues musicians, he was an icon of toughness and style. Part of his signature swag was a Stetson Hat, which is the one thing that all the versions of the 'Stagger Lee' ballad can actually agree on, which plays a key role in the story of his crime. According to an 1895 article in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, the story goes like this:

"William Lyons, 25, a levee hand, was shot in the abdomen yesterday evening at 10 o'clock in the saloon of Bill Curtis, at Eleventh and Morgan Streets, by Lee Sheldon [sic], a carriage driver. Lyons and Sheldon were friends and were talking together. Both parties, it seems, had been drinking and were feeling in exuberant spirits. The discussion drifted to politics, and an argument was started, the conclusion of which was that Lyons snatched Sheldon's hat from his head. The latter indignantly demanded its return. Lyons refused, and Sheldon withdrew his revolver and shot Lyons in the abdomen. When his victim fell to the floor Sheldon took his hat from the hand of the wounded man and coolly walked away. He was subsequently arrested and locked up at the Chestnut Street Station. Lyons was taken to the Dispensary, where his wounds were pronounced serious. Lee Sheldon is also known as 'Stag' Lee."

I would say that's the core of the story that every version of the song pretty much sticks to, but the countless details and artistic liberties that have been used to mod its narrative, creates such a an incredible spectrum of the way the story is told. I can't possibly list them all, but here are a few of my favourites. Some say Stag Lee sold his soul in exchange for the hat, which is said to be magical and the reason he killed Billy Lyons, and in some versions, there's even an extra verse where Stag Lee goes to Hell and ends up overthrowing the Devil. I also can’t leave out Nick Cave’s version where he turns Stag Lees malice up to the max with a scene that I can't even bring myself to type out.

In conclusion, Stagger Lee is an iconic limitless shapeshifting folktale about a swagged-out villain, and every musician who decides to wear the Stag Lee as a mask gets to play out their fantasy of being the bad guy in whatever way they choose."

"So as you may of realised by this point most crime ballads aren't always the most reliable source of information, but they're definitely a great source of entertainment. And 'A Boy Named Sue' seems almost too aware of that fact, because the story is almost entirely fabricated. Although there is no actual murder in the story, it is a beautiful description of seeing red after years of pent-up anger.

Written by Shel Silverstein and popularised by Johnny Cash, the song tells the story of a young man determined to seek revenge on his father, who abandoned him when he was just a child, leaving him with only a guitar and the unfortunate name "Sue," which caused the boy a lifetime of bullying and torment. Humiliated by his name, he becomes a hardened drifter, swearing that one day he will track down his father and make him pay. Sue tracks down his father and confronts him with the line "My name is Sue! How do you do? Now you're gonna die!" which escalates from there into a vicious brawling street fight. The story then takes a surprising turn when the father explains that he called him sue in an act of tough love, believing that the ridicule of his name would force him to "get tough or die" and ends with my favourite lines in the whole song "But you ought to thank me before I die. For the gravel in ya gut and the spit in ya eye' Cause I'm the son of a bitch that named you Sue" Taken back by these words Sue finds peace from understanding his father's actions, but vows never to repeat the same mistake of calling his son Sue.

'A Boy Named Sue' isn't the only crime ballad performed by Johnny Cash—there are actually so many good ones. Some honourable mentions would be his cover of Sting's I Hung My Head, as well as Cocaine Blues and Delia's Gone, both of which are based on traditional ballads. What I love about A Boy Named Sue though, is the reconciliation at the end, where all that anger is let go through the simple act of understanding his father's perspective.

Talking about Dads, while researching this era of crime ballads, I realised that I’ve actually been listening to them my entire life, thanks to my dad, who had an unshakable love for violence, and music. It’s no surprise that I’ve ended up making my own album of crime ballads. And I guess I also ought to thank him for the gravel in my gut and the spit in my eye, but that's another story."

"I've listened to this song countless times throughout my life, but I never fully grasped the meaning behind the lyrics until I began researching crime ballads. The song is told from the perspective of Charles Manson, the notorious American criminal, cult leader, and musician. He led the Manson Family, a California-based cult responsible for at least nine murders in the late 1960s. The story of the Manson Family has inspired many songs and crime ballads, but what fascinates me most about Neil Young's Revolution Blues is his personal connection to Charles Manson.

Neil Young met Manson through their mutual friend, Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys, about six months before several Manson Family members committed seven murders, including that of actress Sharon Tate, wife of Roman Polanski. As an aspiring musician, Manson would often play music with Young. Neil Young believed Manson had potential and even tried to help him secure a record deal. In Neil's own words, “He had this kind of music that no one was doing. He would sit down with the guitar and start playing and makeup stuff, different every time, it just kept comin' out, comin' out, comin' out. Then he would stop and you would never hear that one again. Musically I thought he was very unique. I thought he really had something crazy, something great. He was like a living poet. It was always coming out.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, as label executives found Manson too unpredictable and volatile. Young later reflected, “He seemed a little uptight, a little too intense. Frustrated artist. Spent a lot of time in jail. Frustrated songwriter, singer…But he was kind of… skewed. You can tell by reading his words. He’s real smart. He’s very deceptive, though. Tricky. Confuses you.” In another interview Neil Young remarked that Charles Manson didn't take rejection well and some might say that's a bit of an understatement, knowing the events that followed.

Neil Young's song about the dark events surrounding the Manson Family faced strong objections from his bandmates, to the point where they didn’t even want to share the stage with him when he performed it. Understandably, people were spooked—especially those in the spotlight in Los Angeles at the time. But despite the fear and tension, Neil Young showed incredible bravery by writing this song. What makes it stand out is that it doesn’t simply portray Charles Manson as pure evil; instead, it also humanises his actions with the lines “But I’m still not happy, I feel like there’s something wrong, I got the revolution blues, I see bloody fountains.” It's clear to me that Neil Young was seeking some sense of understanding during what must have been an incredibly confusing and turbulent time by stepping into the role of Charles Manson himself in his song 'Revolution Blues.'"

"Along the Mexico border, crime ballads have developed into their own distinct form, different from any I have previously discussed. Their evolution mirrors the story of Appalachian murder ballads in some ways, yet they have grown independently. Often referred to as "drug ballads" in English, they are more commonly known as narcocorridos in Spanish. Narcocorridos are a subgenre of corridos that utilize the traditional framework of Spanish folk ballads to portray the cultural, social, and political conflicts in the borderlands. Like medieval British murder ballads, they often function as a form of news for the poor and oppressed. The narcocorrido genre upholds this tradition, regularly narrating the experiences of the impoverished, the destitute, and those who turn to crime in search of power and survival and will often be anthems celebrating particular gangs or drug lords.

Narcocorridos often feature a wild juxtaposition between the music and the lyrical content. While the lyrics are reminiscent of gangster rap or Mafioso rap, filled with stories of crime and violence, the music itself tends to be upbeat and danceable, typically built on rhythmic foundations like polka, waltz, or mazurka. The song I've chosen to focus on, 'Contrabando Y Traición' by Los Tigres Del Norte stays true to this format, perfectly blending lighthearted, lively instrumentals with gritty, intense storytelling. The title translates to "Smuggling and Betrayal," and the song is credited with popularising the narcocorrido genre.

'Contrabando Y Traición' follows the story of romantic drug smuggling couple Emilio Varela and Camelia la Texana, who transport several kilos of marijuana hidden in their car tyres from Tijuana to Los Angeles. After completing the delivery, Emilio tells Camelia that he plans to leave her for his true love and move to San Francisco. Feeling betrayed, Camelia shoots Emilio with seven bullets and takes all the money for herself. Ángel González who wrote the lyrics has described the song as fictional despite it incorporating the names of people involved in drug trafficking.

González wrote the song with a strong moral stance against drug smuggling, aiming to shed light on the issue. However, its commercial success unintentionally set off a chain reaction, leading to a wave of narcocorridos that would, over time, shift towards glorifying and celebrating the realities of Mexican drug culture and the violence that accompanies it. As narcocorridos gained popularity through the early '90s, high-ranking members of drug cartels began commissioning their own songs, following in the footsteps of other notorious drug lords who already had anthems written about them.

In recent years, narcocorridos have stirred significant controversy due to the murders of multiple singers and band members amid the ongoing drug war. Despite previous efforts that only seemed to boost the genre's popularity, Tijuana has recently enacted a law banning songs that glorify the Mexican drug trade. The hope is that this will reduce violence by shielding young people from music that sensationalises it. However, to me, this feels like a superficial solution to a much deeper issue. These songs wouldn't exist without the harsh and violent realities that people in these environments face every day and as powerful as it is, I doubt songwriting is the root of the problem here."

"This song belongs to the genre of Mafioso rap, a subgenre of hardcore hip-hop that was pioneered by Kool G Rap in the late '80s. which is known for portraying the harsh realities of life in poverty-stricken American inner cities, including the violence and criminal activity that is often a result of that environment. Mafioso rap, in contrast, leans more into fantasy and metaphor, often referencing notorious Mafia figures and organised crime. It often draws inspiration from classic crime films like Scarface, Goodfellas, and The Godfather, and takes the listener on a cinematic journey through a shadowy underworld in pursuit of wealth and power. On The Run captures this perfectly with its vivid storytelling, making it an ideal example of what I would classify as a crime ballad.

In short, the song unfolds from the viewpoint of a low-ranking mob enforcer working for the Luciano crime family. Frustrated about not being paid or valued enough for the daily tasks of drug trafficking and money laundering, he decides to steal a huge shipment of cocaine to start his own operation. However, his bosses catch up to him as he's about to flee town with his wife and son, heading for the airport. After a gunfight, they manage to escape. The protagonist then drives into Mexico and stops at a gas station, where the Luciano family continues to pursue him. He ultimately kills his pursuers, including Don Luciano, and successfully escapes.

Summing it up in just a few words doesn't do it justice, because if you truly listen to the lyrics, the delivery makes it feel like you're watching a movie unfold. Although the story is fictional, like many crime ballads, it still reflects the artist's environment—this time using symbolism and metaphor. Through these devices, the song expresses their own experiences and struggles while celebrating the aspirational traits of a mafia don, such as wealth, power, and success. It also exemplifies how artists can work through difficult circumstances and understand their hardships by creating art and embodying the role of the notorious villain."

"Eminem reverses this role by embodying a the type of villain that usually reserved for people at the height of success and fame-the obsessive super fan. If you are not aware of this song or the cultural impact it's had, I hate to say, but you have been living under a rock, but just incase, let me give you the run down. 'Stan' is one of Eminems most famous songs, which tells the made-up story of Stan, the disillusioned super fan who idolises Eminem's alter ego "Slim Shady"- which also led to the casual use of the word 'Stan' to describe the average super fan which can also now be even be found in the dictionary.

The story unfolds through a series of letters written from Stan's perspective, where his frustration grows increasingly intense. This ultimately leads to a tragic ending where he records a voice message directed at Slim Shady before driving his car off a bridge, killing both himself and his pregnant girlfriend. In the final verse, the narrative shifts to Eminem's perspective as he empathetically responds to Stan, urging him to seek help for his mental health struggles, in fear that he will end up like the man he had just seen on the news who, in a drunken state, drove off a bridge with his pregnant girlfriend. Midway through the letter, it hits him—the man in the news was actually Stan.

Once again although this story is a work of fiction, it's based on true events. After releasing his previous album, The Slim Shady LP, Eminem received a flood of unsettling letters from fans who seemed to take the album's violent content literally-which prompted Eminem to address his fans directly by writing this song.

While we're on the subject, it's worth discussing The Slim Shady LP, as much of this album fits within the crime ballad tropes. The record is primarily written from the perspective of Eminem's alter ego, Slim Shady, with much of the content resembling a horror film—a common trait in the hip-hop subgenre Horrorcore, which The Slim Shady LP is often found under. Although Eminem has clarified that the songs were intended purely for entertainment, it’s hard to ignore that this album led to the disturbing fan letters that eventually inspired "Stan." This raises an important question: are crime ballads merely a reflection of the cultural and economic environments people find themselves in, or do they create a feedback loop, fuelled by these sensationalised stories?

Whether it's the chicken or the egg, I still strongly believe that art isn't the root of the problem. If it's ever blamed, it often serves as a scapegoat for deeper systemic issues. In fact, if people looked beyond the surface and how audiences react to it, music could potentially act as a cultural radar, providing insight into the collective unconscious and revealing how people really feel."

"On a lighter note, we are now moving away from the realm of violence and stepping into the world of scams. Starting with comedian and Nollywood star Nkem Owoh's famous song, "I Go Chop Your Dollar." Featured in his hit movie The Master. The song is written in Nigerian Pidgin from the perspective of a scammer, who flexes his ability to swindle people, particularly the 'oyinbo' (white people), out of their money. The lyrics depict how the scammer convinces his victims to part with their money through elaborate schemes, promising large financial rewards in return. The song highlights how easily people can be deceived when greed or desperation cloud their judgment.

As many of us can relate, having encountered a 419 scam email at least once, this tale has its roots in reality. The 419 scam, named after the section of the Nigerian Criminal Code dealing with fraud, has become synonymous with deceptive schemes involving advance-fee fraud. These scams, often targeting unsuspecting individuals or businesses, promise large financial rewards in exchange for an upfront payment. Once the money is sent, the scammer vanishes, leaving the victim with empty pockets and dashed hopes.

While 'I Go Chop Your Dollar' humorously portrays the scammer's perspective, it's yet another crime ballad that highlights a broader issue rooted in economic disparity and desperation. Many involved in these schemes see it as their only way out of poverty, and this has turned 419 into not just a criminal act, but a testament to deeper societal challenges. And I bet you didn’t see this one coming—Nigerian regulatory agencies and anti-fraud organizations, instead of addressing the larger issue, blamed the song for seemingly glorifying 419 scams, claiming it damaged Nigeria's international reputation. The song was even banned from Nigerian radio and television at one point. I can’t help but wonder if that ban had any real impact on curbing the rise of 419 scams."

"Staying in the realm of fraud, let’s get into Scam Rap, my favourite form of modern-day crime ballad. I was so obsessed with this niche subgenre of hip-hop while working on DareDevil2000 that I ended up directly referencing it in the track Vyper Pro. I incorporated a lot of the vocabulary of Scam Rap but reimagined it with a more poetic delivery and completely different instrumental. Anyway enough about me, let's talk about Teejayx6 who is known for pioneering the genre.

Teejayx6 gained popularity with songs like "Dark Web," in 2019, where he raps about purchasing illegal items on the dark web, and "Swipe Story," which narrates step-by-step how to commit credit card fraud, which is a usual trope of the genre. His lyrics often detail how to carry out scams, using technical language and references to real-life fraud methods, often humorous and exaggerated, his storytelling resonated with a younger audience familiar with online culture and digital hustling.

This is probably getting boring now because this take away is all too familiar when it comes to the crime ballad genre, but this is yet another song which has faced controversy over the subject matter with some critics arguing that it promotes illegal activities. However, others view it as an artistic expression of the struggles faced by young people growing up in economically disadvantaged environments. Both perspectives hold some truth, though one definitely carries more weight than the other."

"I want to end this journey with Digga D's 'No Diet.' Although it may stretch the definition of a Crime Ballad since the song doesn’t follow a singular narrative, instead offering fragmented stories, it’s part of a much broader and critical narrative—the modern-day reaction to crime ballads driven by legal restrictions and censorship on the artistic freedom, which has directly affected artists such as UK drill rapper Digga D. Similar to some of the other songs I’ve covered, UK Drill has faced consistent criticism for allegedly glorifying illegal activities, while the deeper social and economic issues that fuel these expressions are often ignored. What's alarming is that this cross-examination isn’t unique to UK Drill but is more closely tied to an artist's social background and perceived intellect.

It’s deeply unsettling that we have gotten to a point where an artist’s expression, regardless of the subject matter, can find its way into a courtroom as evidence. In cases like Digga D’s, prosecutors have used lyrics as key pieces of evidence, arguing that they are not merely artistic expressions but direct links to criminal behaviour and, in some instances, even catalysts for illegal activities. This raises troubling questions about the role of creative work in legal contexts. Should artistic expression be weaponised against the very people who create it?

It's somewhat ironic that crime ballads, which originated in the 16th century as a way for the less educated lower classes to report on current events, have now become criminalised themselves. This blatant censorship almost feels like a misguided attempt to sweep the much larger issues under the rug. The courtroom, a place meant for justice and fair trials, becomes a space where the line between fiction and reality is blurred. Lyrics that might have been intended as storytelling, social commentary, or even hyperbole are instead dissected as confessions or evidence of intent. This creates significant tension for the affected artists, forcing them to censor their creativity for fear of legal repercussions. As a result, it silences their ability to express themselves authentically through their art."

"In conclusion, it's easy to feel lost in the cyclical nature of crime ballads and what they represent, an ouroboros of myth and life that both shapes and is shaped by its reality. Those who still believe the art itself is the problem are missing the point, as the true story lies in the silence between the words—an artist's expression of surviving through hell.

P.S. Despite growing up in a violent and deprived environment, I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be able to explore these themes in my music without facing the same repercussions. This is partly because my music falls within a less stigmatised genre, but it’s also influenced by how people perceive my current social standing and intellect. These perceptions likely hold true, as I’ve been fortunate enough to leave behind a childhood surrounded by criminals and violence. As a result, I have been able to use DareDeviil2000 to both occasionally reflect on my immediate surroundings, but more so reflect on the past I’ve left behind, without the fear that it will be used against me."

'Daredevil2000' by BABii is out now via BOXSET.

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