Codefendants, the genre-defying trio consisting of Sam King (Get Dead), Julio “Ceschi” Ramos, and NOFX mastermind Fat Mike, are shining a spotlight on “Art of Protest,” one of the standout tracks from their recently released sophomore album, LIFERS.
Fans can watch the music video for “Art of Protest” below:
Never a band interested in staying inside the lines, Codefendants built their identity by smashing punk, hip-hop, alternative and rock together into the sound they call Crimewave. On “Art of Protest,” the trio pushes that idea into another unexpected direction, with Fat Mike stepping behind the mic to rap for the first time alongside the considerably more experienced King and Ramos.
There was just one catch: instead of easing himself into unfamiliar territory, Fat Mike decided to make his first attempt at rapping over a string quartet. As Fat Mike explains, “I thought to myself, hmmm, I should try to rap for my first time ever over a string quartet sandwiched between two experienced professional rappers…. Could there be a more terrible idea?….. you be the judge!”
“The song ‘Art of Protest’ was originally a Fat Mike composition for an Indecline-focused movie called Art of Protest, which can be seen on the new Channel 5 network now. It only made sense to work with Indecline again to make this video. It’s always a great time working with that family. We had a bunch of great extras involved, including many good friends who took time out of their lives to be stepped on by a truly graceful riot ballerina. The string players were excellent as well—apparently they had played with Aerosmith and… then us,” said Ceschi Ramos from Codefendants.
That willingness to take an idea that probably shouldn’t work and find out what happens when you actually try it is at the heart of Codefendants. “Art of Protest” finds three artists with wildly different musical backgrounds meeting in the middle, with Fat Mike throwing himself headfirst into the world inhabited by his bandmates rather than simply staying in his punk-rock comfort zone.
The track appears on the band’s recently released sophomore album LIFERS, which finds Codefendants continuing to dismantle the boundaries separating punk, hip-hop and alternative music. Fat Mike previously described what listeners could expect from the record simply as “expect the unexpected,” with the album weaving together everything from “Little Bossa Nova, little Hardcore, little Simon and Garfunkel…”
LIFERS also features the previously released “Rivals” featuring hip-hop legend The D.O.C., “Lonely Life,” and “The Fix.” “Rivals” marked Codefendants’ second collaboration with The D.O.C. following “Fast Ones” from their 2023 debut album, THIS IS CRIMEWAVE.
Codefendants are a genre-smashing punk collective blending alternative, hip-hop and rock to create a sound they call Crimewave. Formed by Fat Mike (NOFX), Julio “Ceschi” Ramos and Sam King (Get Dead), the band fuses raw punk aggression with sharp lyricism, dark humor and street-level honesty.
King and Ramos first crossed paths through the Bay Area punk scene surrounding the legendary 924 Gilman Street, eventually joining forces with Fat Mike to form Codefendants. In 2023, the trio released their debut album, THIS IS CRIMEWAVE, which included “Fast Ones” featuring The D.O.C.
Since then, Codefendants have taken their collision of punk and hip-hop around the world, sharing stages with artists including Pennywise, Descendents, Xzibit, Dilated Peoples and DJ Quik, while also supporting NOFX during their farewell tour.
The band continues to tour throughout 2026 in support of LIFERS, with appearances including Louder Than Life, Aftershock and the Sublime Cruise, along with multiple Sublime Festival dates.
