Sizzla - Babylon Cowboy - [1997]

Sizzla tends to be a polarizing figure in mainstream music circles and even amongst reggae fans.  He has been banned from performing in Europe a couple times due to his homophobic lyrics, yet is a local hero praised for his undeniable eloquence on other important social matters.  In the first verse of 'Babylon Cowboy' [video | lyrics*], he is essentially reminding kids what the ultimate price is for leading a life of guns and crime, and he's pretty damn convincing and pissed off while doing it.   I love his lyrics here and can go on forever about this song, but this is the cool history reference:

"For rights, not justice, you no bust it for none
Well since ya slaughter,  Selassie I come
Emperor sit down 'round de biggest machine gun
Mussolini test and get them skull turned down"

 Here Sizzla invokes a painful part of Ethiopian history and explains that the people doing the killing of local youths in Jamaica today, have just as little justification for their actions as Mussolini and the Italians did when they invaded Ethiopia in 1935. 

I love this image of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I behind "the biggest" machine gun, just mowing down the invading troops and according to Sizzla, the same figurative fate awaits those who "slaughter" innocent people.  

 But Ethiopia was just plain outgunned overall when Italy invaded in 1935, so I assume the just plain badass phrase "skull turned down" stating Selassie's army destroyed Mussolini's troops, Sizzla is referring to the one bright spot for Ethiopia in the war, The Christmas Offensive in which they were finally able to kick a little Italian ass (~3000 according to them). Despite Selassie's now famous pleas to the League of Nations to stop the fighting, they refused to help him and he was forced into exile in England.

 It wasn't until 1941 and World War II that European powers had a reason to want the Italians taken out of North Africa, and Selassie was ultimately able to return and rule very successfully for over 30 years.

* I recommend reading the lyrics if you bother listening to the song