Source: Nike / NIke Leave it to Nike to drop a commercial spot that moves your spirit and fills you with humanity at a time when divisiveness is at an all-time high. To coincide with last night’s return of NBA basketball (we needed that!), Nike has released it’s third spot in their “You Can’t Stop Us” campaign which aims to remind viewers that no matter your gender, race, or any other differences, we’re all one people. Narrated by Megan Rapinoe, the split-screen commercial blends in the kinetic movement of one athlete unto and features some of your favorite athletes including LeBron James, Serena Williams, Colin Kaepernick and Christian Ronaldo. The inspiring montage utilized 4,000 pieces of footage to create the seamless flow of movements that will captivate the eye while stirring the sou...
Source: Rich Fury/Getty Images / Rich Fury/Getty Images YG is opening up about his frightening encounter with the police during his recent arrest in Los Angeles days before he was scheduled to perform at the Grammys in January. Earlier this week during his interview with online radio show, The Morning Hustle, YG touched on the incident, revealing that while he was being arrested the police not only had their guns drawn on him but the entire family that was with him at the time. “Around the Grammys, the police raided my house while I was there with my family and my kids,” YG recalled. “They came at like four in the morning when everyone was still sleep, they had the helicopter going around and everything so I hopped up to see what was going on. So I open the door and boom they draw down on ...
Kyle Meredith With… Jon Baptiste and Nabil Ayers Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS Jon Batiste, band leader of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Nabil Ayers, the US general manager for 4AD, both join Kyle Meredith to discuss how Black Lives Matter has affected their work and the entire music industry. Batiste talks about leading protests on the streets of New York and the importance of voting in the upcoming election. While Ayers discusses his recent New York Times article about Ed Eckstine, the first black person appointed president of a major U.S. record label, the industry’s approach to Blackout Tuesday, and the autobiography he’s working on about his own history in the bus...
Who woulda thought the musician behind “Bananaphone” would be the one giving the Wall of Moms their own theme? Beloved children’s singer Raffi has shared a new song called “Portland Moms” in support of the ongoing Portland protests against police violence and racial injustice. Set to the tune of the folk standard “Buffalo Gals”, Raffi calls for Portland Moms, Black Lives Matter, and the Wall of Vets to “come out tonight by the light of the silvery moon” and be “strong and peaceful.” He’s joined on the jaunty protest song by Lindsay Munroe and Ivan Rosenberg. Together, they “stand in solidarity” with the Portland, Oregon protesters currently dealing with unmarked federal troops Trump has sent in against the wishes of local government. “In solidarity with #BlackLivesMattter, a tribute to the...
Bruce Hornsby is celebrating recent protests against racial inequality with “Bright Star Cast”, his new song featuring Jamila Woods. While this cross-generational collaboration may seem unexpected, both artists have long histories of addressing racism. The 65-year-old Hornsby has touched on prejudice several times throughout his career, including on his biggest radio hit, 1986’s “The Way It Is”. Then, too, there’s his decades-long relationship with Spike Lee, where he’s provided the musical backdrop to some of the most vital cinematic moments of the last 25 years. And as for the 30-year-old Woods, the fight against injustice is one of many plots that run through her two titanic albums, 2017’s HEAVN and the 2019 masterpiece, LEGACY! LEGACY!. “Bright Star Cast” is a rollicking funk-rock...
Source: Rob Leiter / Getty After months of delay due to the rampant spread of the Coronavirus, last night (July 23) Opening Day for the MLB officially kicked off and much to the chagrin of Donald Trump, many players decided to take a knee and stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Things started when the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals teams kneeled before the rendition of the National Anthem during their 7pm game, but the Los Angeles Dodgers Mookie Betts decided he’d take his knee during the Star-Spangled Banner. According to TMZ the former Boston Redsox star knows that his actions may rub some the wrong way but wants everyone to know the obvious: it has nothing to do with disrespecting the military. “I know my dad served and I’ll never disrespect the flag,” B...
Source: Rolling Stone / Rolling Stone Lil Baby’s music is reigniting a firestorm of sociopolitical awareness in trap music lovers during an era where half of the country is struggling to understand why Black Lives Matter. His single “The Bigger Picture” amassed over 100 million streams since debuting on the charts, a clear indication that the world is paying attention to what the superstar has to say. Source: Rolling Stone / Rolling Stone If you ask him, though, he’s not protesting. He’s just keeping it real with us. In the latest issue of Rolling Stone, Lil Baby details the creative process behind the chart-topping single. “I just rap about my life — all my songs are basically about me,” he explains. “It was at a point where I felt I needed to say something.” When it comes to his vi...
Kyle Meredith With… Jesse Colin Young Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public Legendary founder of The Youngbloods Jesse Colin Young speaks with Kyle Meredith about re-recording the ’60s anthem “Get Together” to help feed hungry people through a partnership with SongAid and Why Hunger. Young tells us about tapping his friend Steve Miller to join him on the new version, the meaning of releasing the track on Juneteenth, and how the song speaks to now as much as it did during the original counterculture era. The songwriter also discusses last year’s comeback record, Dreamers, and how he’s continued to write about injustices throughout his 60-year career. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview s...