Playlist for Change

6.2.20

There is so much going on in the world today. All day I spend researching new ways to help. New things to learn. Educating myself with what is happening. Cry myself to sleep because I cannot bear to watch anymore videos of cruelty, injustice, hate and racism towards innocent people who are demanding nothing but peace.

The first place I learned about how messed up our system is, over a decade ago, was from music. I continue to learn more experiences, more opinions, thoughts and ideas, from music. If there is one thing to make me feel better, make me realize, pump me up, or encourage me to do better, that would be music.

So, if you are unsure how to feel with everything happening in the world. If you are suiting up to head out to your local peaceful protest. Or, if you want to just hangout, do your research, and listen to some jams to remind why it is so important, here is a playlist for you.

Caddy Bump: Joell Ortiz & KXNG Crooked

This project just came out on Friday, and I do not think this track was a last minute add. It speaks perfectly to the situation at the tip of our hands, all over our timelines and every news channel. It goes to show we are dealing with an ongoing problem, and have been for quite some time, and it needs to change. Joell Ortiz and Crooked I go bar for bar explaining the struggles of growing up as a black man. If you want to take some time to learn, and honestly just listen to real sh*t, this is your jam right here. From lines like:

Forfeit the game

Or get murdered and it ain't reported

and others such as:

We rap the chorus of ‘F**k Tha Police’
'Cause they just got a casket for us
They acting like if you're born black then you're askin' for it

It makes you want to educate yourself on what you’ve been missing, and figure out how to change this reoccurring problem. These guys always come correct with their lyrical masterpieces, but this one is really special.

Clever: Wooden Box

Though this song dropped in December of last year, it is just starting to gain traction now, and it makes perfect sense. Clever is a caucasian rapper, who is not widely known, but has hits with Juice WRLD, NLE Choppa, G Herbo, Post Malone and more. This song sounds like a mix of Post Malone and maybe John Mayor, while he looks like he could actually be playing guitar for Metallica. Still, he is singing, and he is preaching. The emotion is there as he talks about police brutality and loosing many of his friends to the injustice of such. The music video is emotional, with Clever standing by multiple caskets, referred to as “wooden boxes,” as well as live footage going back many decades to when police brutality against the black race all began. This song demands a change.

FTP:YG

YG is no stranger to making songs to support this cause. FTP is more of a bop, a typical YG club banger hit, but with a serious message. On this day, YG was going to lead a protest, in which he ended up cancelling after being warned the danger peoples lives could encounter. In some parts of the state of California, a 4PM curfew was put into place for the protestors, which is not even dinner time, it makes no sense. So, without any approval from the label, YG dropped FTP. We hate the police, when they handcuff us or our peers, when they take innocent lives, when they silence our voices, etc. I hope this song is played from speakers across all protests tonight, and more importantly, in the clubs once we all get through this on top.

SMTH Freestyle

One way that you can help out, is by supporting these people, and their work. You support small business. But do you support black businesses? Black artists? Black musicians and creators? SMTH is a Brooklyn rapper who does not have a ton of followers, but did have a huge hit with Capital Steez, right before his passing, seven years ago to the day. The music video is just raw emotion, talking about the life he has witnessed. The lyrics are deep, painful and real. It sounds like we’re at a poetry slam, and we just want to listen and not wait for a change, but become the change. Support these artists. These are the guys that need our help the most, and all they are doing is trying to spread knowledge and peace for others. If it was not already clear, this is a dope, talented man.

Front Lines: Conway the Machine

Conway the Machine actually paused working on his upcoming album ‘From King to a God,’ in order to release the Front Lines track, just yesterday. Conway shares that as a brother, and a father of two sons, the tragic and untimely death of George Floyd and the others of the same or similar situation have brought him so much pain. Here, he paints a perfect picture for listeners of a protestor’s point of view. For every unjustifiable murder, every racial profiling, every wrongful force, arrest, judgement, etc. we respond:

we’re outside

These are all relatively new songs. They may have produced to share feelings on the situation at our hands, or they could have been written months ago, because we knew there was always an injustice issue in our country. If you look up songs titled “f**k the police,” you will find plenty more. Fun, playful songs, serious songs, sad songs, educational songs, they are all there and remain relevant. So stream these songs. Sign the petitions. Make the phone calls, emails, and donations to those charities and those brands that need us now. Let us keep a positive attitude while doing so, and lead with the strong, educated, peaceful minds, and we will come out on top.