Jun 19, 20206 min read

The Songs Of Protest

A powerful wave of music— new and remastered— from the Black Lives Matter Movement 2020.

BY EVAN CAIN

VICE-PRESIDENT/ CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF/ ARTS AND CULTURE HEAD

All sources embedded in images.

The QuaranTimes denounces the unfair death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers and its tragic and avoidable consequences. We stand in solidarity with the Floyd Family, protestors, and all affected by this senseless act of violence. Click here for resources to help.

Music of The Movement

The recent and inhumane murder of an unarmed Black man, George Floyd, sparked Black Lives Matter protests in the US and beyond these past few weeks. The movement was founded in 2013 after the tragic death of a young Black man named Trayvon Martin and is dedicated to ending white supremacy and unjust police brutality as well as liberating Black people all over the world. Black Lives Matter activists are supporting the movement in numerous ways: non-Black activists are educating themselves about the history of Black Americans in the US through books and movies, while activists of all races are spreading awareness about the movement through different social media platforms, signing petitions demanding justice for George Floyd and other Black people who have been wrongfully killed because of the colour of their skin, and attending protests in efforts to defund the police system in America and promote political equality. The protests are also promoting the resignation of the US President Donald Trump because of his many racist remarks and overall racist ideals, which you can read about in Arya Hanumara’s recent article, “The Times In Which Our Nation’s President Has Been Caught Being Racist.”

While many companies around the world have shown support for the Black Lives Matter movement, the music community has had a significant contribution in the efforts to seek justice for Black Americans in America. The social media “Tuesday Blackout” was created by U.S. music industry executives Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang as a way to pause all self-promotion on social media and reflect upon ways people can promote and empower the Black Lives Matter movement. This soon became a global trend despite being a controversial campaign which was said to do nothing for the movement and blocked all other important social media resources. This age of recognizing and calling out racial injustice has created a musical revolution in America, prompting artists to create jams that not only support the movement but offer a look into the Black experience. Music has been a crucial part of uniting people during protests by promoting unity and harmony within the powerful lyrics of each “protest song.” Here are a few examples from this golden age of music.

“The Bigger Picture” - Lil Baby

Lil Baby fans all over the world witnessed this 25-year old rapper step into the mic in a new way by releasing his new album exploring his experiences as a Black man in America. His album and official music video, “The Bigger Picture,” dropped on Friday, June 12th and already has over 8 million views. Lil Baby takes a stand against police brutality in the wake of recent Black Lives Matter protests by rapping, “I find it crazy the police'll shoot you and know that you dead/ But still tell you to freeze/ F---ed up, I seen what I seen/ I guess that mean hold him down if he say he can't breathe/ It's too many mothers that's grieving/ They killing us for no reason/ Been going on for too long to get even/ Throw us in cages like dogs and hyenas/ I went to court and they sent me to prison/ My mama was crushed when they said I can't leave.”

“I Just Wanna Live” - Keedron Bryant

Keedron Bryant, a 12-year-old actor and gospel singer, most famously known for his appearance in Little Big Shots, posted a moving video on May 26th, 2020. “I Just Wanna Live,” was written by his mother, Johnetta Bryant and sung acapella by Keedron. He sings about his experiences as a young Black man in America and his desire to simply stay alive amidst the horrifying reality of racism in this country. His video has been viewed 3.1 million times on Instagram alone and was featured on President Obama’s Facebook page. The 5-second clip includes the lyrics, “I'm a young black man/ Doing all that I can/ To stand/ Oh but when I look around/ And I see what's being done to my kind/ Every day/ I'm being hunted as prey/ My people don't want no trouble, we've had enough struggle/ I just want to live/ God protect me/ I just want to live I just want to live.”

“Alright” - Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar, a 33-year old American rapper, has received many awards in his career, including 13 Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, 11 MTV Video Music Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and many others. He is also famously known for his album featured in the award-winning 2018 action movie, “Black Panther.” Lamar released “Alright” on June 30th, 2015 as the fourth single of the record, “To Pimp A Butterfly,” and performed a chilling number at the 2016 Grammys with a line of Black men in chains around their ankles. This song is one of the most powerful of this golden age of music and includes Lamar’s words, “And we hate po-po/ Wanna kill us dead in the street for sure, n---/ I’m at the preacher’s door/ My knees gettin’ weak and my gun might blow/ But we gon’ be alright.”

“Body Cast” - Dua Saleh

Duah Saleh, a young Sudanese-American recording artist, songwriter, poet, and actor from Minneapolis, released their chilling single, “Body Cast,” on June 9th, 2020. This unique sound and poetic expression has just over 3,000 views on YouTube and continues to inspire Black artists to share their experiences and work with the world. They sing, “There's nothing going on here. And you are violating my rights, sweetheart/ Now, tell me that I'm f----g wrong/ You can't, 'cause I'm not wrong/ You're violating my rights.”

“Black Boys” - Bashy

Bashy, a famous Black British rapper, released his single, “Black Boys,” chronicling the experiences of young Black boys and men in the world, in 2008. All the poetic lyrics of this song are still issues being faced in the Black community today. He raps, “The black boys growing up yeah/ There's bare positive black boys/ Around you making movements/ Making movements toward success”

“Freedom” - Beyonce (Ft. Kendrick Lamar)

Beyoncé is famously known in the music world not only for being the most nominated woman and the second-most awarded woman in Grammy history but for her powerfully written and performed songs including “Drunk in Love”, “Halo”, “If I Were A Boy”, and “Run The World (Girls).” She and the famous Kendrick Lamar released “Freedom,” in 2016 which speaks on the experience of Black people (specifically women) in America. It is said to be one of the anthems of the Black Lives Matter movement and continues to support and empower the Black community. A few key lyrics are, “Freedom/ Freedom/ I can't move/ Freedom, cut me loose/ Singin', freedom/ Freedom/ Where are you?/ 'Cause I need freedom, too/ I break chains all by myself/ Won't let my freedom rot in hell/ Hey! I'ma keep running/ 'Cause a winner don't quit on themselves.”

“FTP” - YG

The protests in support of defunding the police force in America have sparked many conversations within the music industry. On June 12, 2020, the famous American rapper YG released a music video for his song, “FTP (F--- The Police),” which has just over a million views. He also organized street protests in Hollywood on June 7th, seeking justice for the inhumane and unjust killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and countless others. The video shows YG protesting with Black Lives Matter and F-- Donald Trump signs, referring to his 2016 hit, “FDT (F-- Donald Trump).” He raps, “Murder after murder after all these years/ Buy a strap, bust back after all these tears/ Mommas cryin', how they gon' heal? (How they gon'?)/ How you would feel?/ F--- silence, speak up b---, this sh-- ill/ (Big-big) Big stick on me, y'all kill, we kill/ Been tired, f--- cardboard signs, we in the field/ It's the Ku Klux cops, they on a mission/ It's the Ku Klux cops, got hidden agendas/ It's the truth, I won't stop.” Powerful words.