The death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, has been on people's minds since the summer, with feelings of frustration and anger over the case surging last week over the grand jury decision to not indict officer Darren Wilson over the shooting. Toronto rhymer Ian Kamau is one of many voices weighing in on the situation, as well as broader issues of race, and he has produced a critical cut called "America" with producer Big Sproxx behind the boards.
The track begins with news clips regarding the Brown case and a jazzy, piano-driven backdrop. Kamau gets on the mic to discuss brutal police arrests, public outcry over the injustice on the streets, the fine line between hate and fetishization, and more.
You'll find the passionate, political track down below or for purchase on Bandcamp.
Kamau added of his "America" in a statement:
There is a crisis in America. This crisis began with the first European settler encountering the indigenous people of the land; the First Nations. This crisis continued with the first enslaved African landing on the shores of North America, and the first Japanese internment camp. There are too many examples to name.
This crisis is a crisis of value, value of economy over human life and the environment that sustains it, value of one perception over another, value of the rights of one group over another and the hypocrisy of "freedom" by force.
This skewed perception of value is present all over the world but in no place is it so extreme as in America, presently the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world. The injustice in America is both it's foundation and it's eventual downfall (see Rome for details). The crisis is a moral one.
The track begins with news clips regarding the Brown case and a jazzy, piano-driven backdrop. Kamau gets on the mic to discuss brutal police arrests, public outcry over the injustice on the streets, the fine line between hate and fetishization, and more.
You'll find the passionate, political track down below or for purchase on Bandcamp.
Kamau added of his "America" in a statement:
There is a crisis in America. This crisis began with the first European settler encountering the indigenous people of the land; the First Nations. This crisis continued with the first enslaved African landing on the shores of North America, and the first Japanese internment camp. There are too many examples to name.
This crisis is a crisis of value, value of economy over human life and the environment that sustains it, value of one perception over another, value of the rights of one group over another and the hypocrisy of "freedom" by force.
This skewed perception of value is present all over the world but in no place is it so extreme as in America, presently the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world. The injustice in America is both it's foundation and it's eventual downfall (see Rome for details). The crisis is a moral one.