I have my issues with BET, but I thought this was a great tribute regardless. One of my friends showed me this video which was for this year’s BET Awards. Public Enemy made a new version of “Fight the Power”. This song came out 31 years ago and it’s still relevant. They came back with Nas, Rapsody, Black Thought from The Roots, Jahi, YG, and Keedron Bryant. This was very necessary and relevant given the times. It’s a shame how nothing’s changed since that song came out or even the movie Do the Right Thing. I was even surprised to hear references to the Haitian Revolution, Breonna Taylor namedropped twice, Seneca Village (FKA Senegal Village) in Central Park being an all-Black community a long time ago or Juneteenth in a mainstream channel. There were great lyrics and one particular highlight was Rapsody (in my opinion, had the vest verse and a shoo-in for guest verse of the year) saying “You love Black Panther, but not Fred Hampton.” WOW! I thought I would share this updated version of this classic rap song with you.
Tag Archives: Protest Song
New(ish) Ospreyshire Single: They Dreamed of Devastation and Deceit (Circle of Lies)!
Some of you might remember me making this poem roughly a month ago. However, I decided to record that poem with my cajon and my trademark acousmatics. Unlike other Ospreyshire tracks, I don’t use that many effects with my sound manipulation. Expect there to be audio fridge horror with some subtle sounds especially in the context of the lyrics. When I wrote that poem, I was airing my grievances with how much I despise the misrepresentation of Africa let alone the diaspora.
I know some people who weren’t familiar with this poem are going to ask me an obvious question, and I’ll answer it right now. No, the recording isn’t just about making a potshot against that expensive piece of plagiarism even though I do make said quip in one line. The issue is bigger than that. Just sayin.
The song is free or your own price on Bandcamp!
Mr. Leo “Pray”
It’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything on this blog.
Some of you may know that I’ve been getting more into African music and even more recently into movies made in that continent. Even though I’ve never been to Africa, I come from a multi-ethnic family and I did a DNA test where one of my results from my maternal side came up as Cameroonian among other ethnic groups in Africa and Europe. I decided to check out the music from that country and stumbled across Mr. Leo. I first heard the song “Pray” and found it touching given that country’s situation currently with the conflicts involving the French-speaking Cameroonians and the English-speaking ones where there have been fatalities. It saddens me how there have been divisions like that in this post-colonial landscape. Luckily, there are people in that country who hate the bloodshed and see each other as brothers and sisters despite what languages they speak. It certainly hit my heart because these people could be distant relatives of mine in some way. I hope you check out this song.
Part of the song is in Banso which is one of the local languages in that country. I found translated parts of that song which make it more heartbreaking knowing what everything means.
Amen chorus part:
Let us kneel down (Amen)
Let us keep praying that (Amen)
The day will soon be clear
Let us kneel down (Amen)
Let us keep praying that (Amen)
The day will soon be clear
Banso part of the 2nd verse:
If you are ignoring your brother
Beware, you are making a mistake
If you are chasing your brother away
Beware, you are making a mistake
Translation credit to Chris Logan
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