At the beginning of the year, I encouraged readers to listen to more rap music as a way to understand the inequality and disenfranchisement facing so many in the African-American community.
The tragedies in the past weeks have powerfully reaffirmed the importance of the genre and its artists. The recent fatal police shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile and the ambush in Dallas that resulted in the deaths of five police officers drove many hip-hop artists to vent their fear, anger and frustration in songs released online.
Listening to them opens a window into a culture under assault. But, more importantly, for those of us who've been lucky enough to not endure the same trials, the songs provide some much-needed understanding and empathy.
The one that garnered the most attention came from Jay Z, who released "Spiritual," his first track as lead performer since 2013. In a note on his website, he wrote about beginning the song in 2014 with the police shooting of Michael Brown, but deciding to hold onto it because the issue would always be relevant.
"I'm saddened and disappointed in THIS America --; we should be further along," he wrote.
The song is a mournful self-examination and finds Jay Z the most open and honest he's been in a long time. The tinkling keys that drive the track sound as if they were pulled from a funeral march. The hook's lyrics are heartbreaking: "I am not poison, no I am not poison/Just a boy from the hood that/Got my hands in the air."
Jay Z is not only describing victims of police brutality, but also himself and his peers. He makes the personal universal --; it's a quintessential example of the power of the music.
ScHoolboy Q's sophomore album "Blank Face LP," one of hip-hop's most eagerly awaited releases of the year, was scheduled to come out on July 8 --; just days after the Sterling and Castile shootings and the day after the Dallas ambush.
Because hip-hop has embraced the internet so fully, ScHoolboy was able to remix the lead single "THat Part," featuring verses that address the situation, to coincide with the album's release.
ScHoolboy is angry --; not just because of the injustice occurring, but because it will continue: "I feel bad that my daughter gotta live this life/I'll die for my daughter, gotta fight that fight/Put our blank faces on, gotta let that dry."
While Jay Z looks inward and ScHoolboy looks for hope, R&B star Miguel tapped into the genre's socially conscious history and issued a broken-hearted call for change on "How Many."
The helplessness and frustration is out front in Miguel's voice, and since the only backing he uses is a slippery electric guitar line, the effect is amplified. He channels Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' 1975 classic "Wake Up Everybody," but the lyrics are focused on the here and now: "I'm tired of human lives turned into hashtags and prayer hands/I'm tired of watching these murderers get off."
There needs to be a change in the country, Miguel sings, and as his lyrics show, it's only through unity that change will become possible:
That's the question I keep asking myself.
There's no one answer or one area that needs addressing --; everything must be considered, from policing standards and gun violence to the elevation of African-American voices and the media's role.
Those of us without the experiences of many in the African-American community need to pay attention to what they're saying, and the music coming out of these tragedies is a crucial pathway to increased awareness.
Listen, appreciate what these voices add to the conversation, and become part of the solution. We owe that much to each other.
from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Protest-music,228926
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