Editing Rodney King (section)

== In popular culture ==
{{More citations needed section|date=August 2024}}

===Films===
* The 1992 film ''[[Malcolm X (1992 film)|Malcolm X]]'' includes a snippet of the Rodney King video.
* The 1993 film ''[[Psycho Cop 2]]'' parodies the King incident, in which the antagonist Joe Vickers is beaten down by bar patrons as a bystander videotapes the scene from his apartment balcony.<ref>{{cite web|author=Blacula |url=http://www.blackhorrormovies.com/psychocop2.htm |title=Psycho Cop Returns (AKA Psycho Cop 2) (1993) |publisher=Black Horror Movies |date= |access-date=February 21, 2022}}</ref>
* The 1994 film ''[[Natural Born Killers]]'' has a media montage that contains footage of King's plea to get along.
* The 1996 film ''[[Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood]]'' depicts a parody, which shows police officers playing a "Beat Rodney King" video arcade game titled "Rodney's Ride" in the police station.
* The 1997 film ''[[Riot (1997 film)|Riot]]'' dissects the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict and the ensuing riots through four narratives.
* An extended discussion on the subject led by [[Edward Norton]] is part of the 1998 film ''[[American History X]]''.
* The 1999 documentary film ''The Rodney King Incident: Race and Justice in America'', produced and directed by [[Michael Pack]], features an interview with Rodney King.
* The 2003 American crime thriller ''[[Dark Blue (film)|Dark Blue]]'' starring [[Kurt Russell]] opens with footage of the assault on King.<ref>{{cite web |last=Travers |first=Ben |date=April 24, 2017 |title=How Kurt Russell Redefined Heroism in 'Dark Blue,' an LA Riots Story 15 Years Ahead of Its Time| url=https://www.indiewire.com/2017/04/kurt-russell-dark-blue-la-riots-movie-hero-1201807699/ |website=IndieWire |access-date=October 21, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
* The beating of King and the riots that followed were also mentioned in the 2015 film ''[[Straight Outta Compton (film)|Straight Outta Compton]]'', a biopic about the rap group [[N.W.A|NWA]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Ice Cube: 'Police Have Become Our Worst Bullies' |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6663762/ice-cube-police-brutality-nwa-straight-outta-compton-interview |magazine=Billboard}}</ref>
* The 2017 film ''[[Rodney King (film)|Rodney King]]'', a one-man show produced by [[Spike Lee]], alternately takes and opposes King's side.
* The 2017 film ''[[Kings (2017 film)|Kings]]'' takes place in [[South Los Angeles]] during the riots.<ref>{{cite web |last=Henderson |first=Odie |date=April 27, 2018 |title=Kings movie review & film summary |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/kings-2018 |access-date=October 21, 2020 |website=RogerEbert.com |language=en}}</ref>
* The 2017 film ''[[LA 92 (film)|LA 92]]'' is a [[documentary film]] about the [[1992 Los Angeles riots]].
* The 2021 film ''[[King Richard (film)|King Richard]]'' includes news coverage of the beating.

===Television===
* ''[[Doogie Howser, M.D.]]'' Season 4, Episode 1 titled "There's a Riot Going On" takes place during the aftermath of the riots. The episode was released September 23, 1992.
* ''[[Boston Legal]]'' Season 1, episode 15, titled "Tortured Souls", features footage of King and discussion of the trials of the officers that followed. It aired in February 2005.
* ''[[Roseanne]]'' Season 9, episode 9, titled "Roseambo", features King in a guest appearance in the tag scene. The scene can be found on the DVD's but has been edited out of syndication prints.  
* ''[[The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story]]'' opens with footage of the beating and subsequent riots in Los Angeles.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Henderson |first=Danielle |date=February 2, 2016 |title='The People v. O.J. Simpson' Premiere: The 'Trial of the Century' Retold (Published 2016) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/arts/television/the-people-v-oj-simpson-american-crime-story-episode-1-recap.html |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=October 21, 2020}}</ref>
* The beating was also depicted in Season 3, Episode 7 of the TV show ''[[9-1-1 (TV series)|9-1-1]]''.
* ''[[S.W.A.T. (2017 TV series) season 4]]'' Episode 1 titled "3 Seventeen Year Olds", references this incident.

===Music===
*In 1991, [[Ice Cube]]'s album; ''[[Death Certificate (album)|Death Certificate]]'' featured a song titled "Alive On Arrival", in which Ice Cube mentions not wanting to go out like Rodney King.
*In 1992, [[Body Count (band)|Body Count]] which the group is fronted by [[Ice-T]] released "[[Cop Killer (song)|Cop Killer]]" on the group's self-titled debut album. The recorded version mentions then-Los Angeles police chief Daryl Gates, and Rodney King. Shortly after the release of Body Count, a jury acquitted the officers and riots broke out in South Central Los Angeles. Following its release, the song was met with opposition, with critics ranging from President George H. W. Bush to various law enforcement agencies, with demands for the song's withdrawal from commercial availability, citing concerns of promoting anti-police sentiment. Ice-T defended the lyrical content of the song as did various other proponents who did not believe that the song posed any risk and remained in support of the song continuing to be released and sold. 
*In 1992, [[Dr. Dre]] released "The Day The Niggaz Took Over" on his debut studio album ''[[The Chronic]]'', a song that refers to the looting, rioting, and anger that occurred after the police who had beaten King were found not guilty of most charges.
*In 1992, [[Lucky People Center]] released "Rodney King", a single featuring sampled dialogue and with the video including the footage of the incident.
*In 1992, [[Showbiz & A.G.]] released a song titled "Represent" on their debut studio album; ''[[Runaway Slave]]'', which included a line by [[Big L]] referencing the beating of Rodney King.
*In 1993, Vaginal Jesus released an Album titled "Beat Rodney Down", in reference to the incident.
*In 1992, [[Willie D]] released a song titled "Rodney K." on his album ''[[I'm Goin' Out Lika Soldier]]'', where he raps about wanting to murder King due to him allegedly being a "sell-out".
*The [[Billy Idol]] song "[[Shock to the System (Billy Idol song)|Shock to the System]]" refers to what happened to Rodney King. It was featured in his 1993 album ''[[Cyberpunk (album)|Cyberpunk]]''.
*The [[The Boo Radleys|Boo Radleys]] 1993 album ''[[Giant Steps (The Boo Radleys album)|Giant Steps]]'' features a song called "Rodney King".
*In 1993, Italian rapper [[Frankie Hi-NRG MC]] referenced Rodney King in the track "Libri di sangue" from his album ''Verba manent''. The song is a critique of societal injustices, with references to sexism, racism, and intolerance towards immigrants, foreigners, and those considered "different" in general
*The 1993 song "This Little Pig" by [[Living Colour]] includes the sample "Fifty-six times in eighty-one seconds. Something like this", taken from politician [[Bill Bradley]] discussing the blows of the four police officers beating King.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Bill Bradley: Can He Get Into the Game?|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/bill-bradley-can-he-get-game/|website=[[The Nation]] |date=June 17, 1999 |last1=Corn |first1=David }}</ref>
*In 1994, [[Dog Eat Dog (band)|Dog Eat Dog]] released their album ''All Boro Kings'' which includes the song "Who's the King" that refers to Rodney King, his "Why can't we all get along" motto, and the police violence.
*In 1996, [[Michael Jackson]] released as a second music video for his single "[[They Don't Care About Us]]". The music video features several references to human right violations, and contains real footage of police attacking African Americans including footage of King's assault.
*The 1996 [[Sublime (band)|Sublime]] song "[[April 29, 1992 (Miami)|April 29, 1992]]" was written about the riots resulting from the King incident.
*The 1997 song "[[Walkin' on the Sun]]" by [[Smash Mouth]] was written about the riots that followed King's assault.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://genius.com/Smash-mouth-walkin-on-the-sun-lyrics|title=Smash Mouth – Walkin' on the Sun|via=genius.com}}</ref>
*The 1999 album ''[[The Battle of Los Angeles (album)|The Battle of Los Angeles]]'' by [[Rage Against the Machine]] also refers to the riot which followed King's assault.
*The 2004 song "Playboy" by [[Lloyd Banks]] on his debut album ''[[The Hunger For More]]'' mentions Rodney King.
*The 2008 song "Mrs. Officer" by Lil Wayne on his sixth [[studio album]], ''[[Tha Carter III]]'' mentions Rodney King.
*The 2012 song "[[Get Along (Guy Sebastian song)|Get Along]]" by [[Guy Sebastian]] on his seventh album, ''[[Armageddon (Guy Sebastian album)|Armageddon]]'' has King's "Can't we all just get along?" quote as the main line of the song.<ref name="Guy Sebastian - Documentary of the Making of 'Get Along'">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3uECrlA2rU&list=UUtCiNvGaEzw5BAoIKZHNbPA&index=1&feature=plpp_video Guy Sebastian – Documentary of the Making of 'Get Along']. YouTube. Retrieved November 21, 2012</ref>
*The 2012 song "[[New God Flow]]" by [[Pusha T]] and [[Kanye West]] references him.
*The 2012 song "A Wake" by [[Macklemore]] also refers to the King trial and subsequent riots.
*The 2017 song "Send Me To War" by [[Dumbfoundead]] also refers to the riots and police brutality.
*In 2018, [[Fever 333]]'s song "Burn It" also mentions about Rodney King and the fights surrounding the assault.
*In 2023, [[Fall Out Boy]] [[We Didn't Start the Fire (Fall Out Boy song)|covered]] [[Billy Joel]]'s 1989 hit song "[[We Didn't Start the Fire]]". Rodney King and the riots are mentioned in the cover.

===Theatre===
*''Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992'' is a [[One-person show|one-woman play]] written and originally performed by [[Anna Deavere Smith]] about the riots following the Rodney King verdict. 
*The 2014 one-man play ''Rodney King'' by [[Roger Guenveur Smith]] is about King.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/in-roger-guenveur-smiths-rodney-king-a-whispered-evocation-of-the-la-riots/2014/07/11/10ac5c34-090f-11e4-ba5b-b9d8a4daba13_story.html|title=In Roger Guenveur Smith's 'Rodney King,' a whispered evocation of the L.A. riots|last=Wren|first=Celia|date=July 11, 2014|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|access-date=November 26, 2016}}</ref>

===Literature===
*The 2020 novel ''Heal the Hood'' by Adaeze Nkechi Nwosu is about Rodney King's beating and the subsequent riots.
*The 2020 short story "The Last Days of Rodney" by Tracey Rose Peyton takes on King's final days and his death.

===Other===
*Neighbor [[Nahshon Dion Anderson]], an award-winning writer and a family friend, observed the aftermath of the beating and recounted the details in an unpublished and untitled memoir. In 2025, she won a [[New York State Council on the Arts]] Individual Artist award of $10k for a chapter based on Rodney King.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://m.fergusfallsjournal.com/2019/02/springboard-for-the-arts-welcomes-writer-to-residency/|title=Springboard for the Arts welcomes writer to residency – The Fergus Falls Daily Journal|date=February 8, 2019|work=The Fergus Falls Daily Journal|access-date=June 11, 2019|language=en-US|archive-date=August 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190817042003/https://m.fergusfallsjournal.com/2019/02/springboard-for-the-arts-welcomes-writer-to-residency/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://nahshondionanderson.com/index.html|website=Nahshon Dion Anderson |access-date=January 28, 2023|title=Biography }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://rockthebells.com/articles/2pac-murder-nahshon-dion/ | title=The Eventuality of Justice: Thoughts on the Arrest of Tupac's Alleged Killer }}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |date=November 6, 2024 |title= New York State Council on the Arts Grants Award List|url=https://nysca.org/downloads/files/FY2025_Grant_Award_List.pdf |access-date=December 22, 2024 |website=arts.ny.gov/ |language=en-US}}</ref>