Black Lives Matter
Beyoncé Shares New A Cappella Version of “Black Parade”: Stream
In honor of Juneteenth last Friday, Beyoncé released a new solo song called “Black Parade”. Now, just some days later, Queen Bey is back with a special a cappella version of the track. Per Consequence of Sound writer Nina Corcoran, the original iteration of “Black Parade” was a “celebratory blend of pop, trap, hip-hop, and electronica-verging on Detroit techno” and featured horn and flute arrangements. Although most of the flashiness and extra adornments have been stripped, the global R&B star’s message of Black pride and Black beauty still rings true here — and perhaps even truer when delivered through Bey’s singular, captivating voice. “I hope we continue to share joy and celebrate each other, even in the midst of struggle. Please continue to remember our beauty, strength and power,”...
A Start: Detective Involved In Murder Of Breonna Taylor Fired
Source: Breonna Taylor / Breonna Taylor A detective involved in the murder of Breonna Taylor has been fired. On Tuesday (Jun 23), the Louisville Chief of Police announced the firing of one of the three officers involved in the murder of EMT Breonna Taylor in her home back in March. According to NBC, to Louisville Metro Police Department detective Brett Hankison, chief Robert J. Schroeder said that the detective violated department rules, procedures, and deadly force standards when Taylor was killed. The letter calls out the officers for not only not following protocol to execute the warrant but also for utilizing the no-knock method on March 13, but also for “wantonly and blindly” firing 10 rounds, Schroeder wrote. “These rounds created a substantial danger of death and serious injury...
Jeff Tweedy Proposes Industry-Wide Donation to Black Lives Matter Organizations
As protests against police brutality following George Floyd’s death continue, Jeff Tweedy has penned an essay calling for the music industry at large to donate to Black Lives Matter. The Wilco frontman shared his thoughts in a lengthy Instagram post today, writing, “Thousands of us committing to a reparations initiative could change our business and the world we live in.” It’s not an exaggeration to say the modern music industry was built almost entirely on Black art. Tweedy begins his essay by acknowledging so and explaining how no single artist could “come close to paying the debt we owe to the Black originators of our modern music.” As such, he calls for an “industry-wide plan” hat allows songwriters and musicians to direct a percentage of their “writer’s share” revenue to organizations...
TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe Rallies the “People” on New Protest Song: Stream
In honor of Juneteenth, aka Freedom Day, Tunde Adebimpe has released a new protest song. Simply dubbed “People”, this offering sees the TV on the Radio frontman instructing his listeners to confront and condemn white supremacy wherever it rears its ugly head. “If you see it’s a Nazi, say it’s a Nazi, and get that Nazi out,” declares Adebimpe on the track. “People” was self-produced by the indie rocker with assistance from friend and TV on the Radio drummer Roofeo. It’s available to stream and/or purchase below via Bandcamp, and all proceeds will benefit the Southern Poverty Law Center, Movement for Black Lives, and the ACLU. For the rest of Juneteenth, Bandcamp, too, will be donating its share of profits to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Earlier this month, Adebimpe performed TV on the Radi...
Chance The Rapper Criticizes J. Cole, “Yet Another L For Men Masking Patriarchy”
Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty J. Cole has the streets buzzing with the release of his latest song, but depending on who you ask, reactions are all over the place and it seems even fellow rapper Chance The Rapper has something to say. On Tuesday (Jun 16), J. Cole dropped his new track, “Snow On Tha Bluff,” taking aim at who many fans have deciphered as Chicago rapper/activist Noname. While J. Cole took to Twitter to address the controversy without naming his target specifically, he did state he stood by his words before encouraging fans to follow Noname on social media citing her as a leader. “Morning. I stand behind every word of the song that dropped last night,” J. Cole tweeted. “I love and honor her as a leader in these times. She has done and is doing the reading and the listening and th...
Officer Karen Cries For Cops To “Get A Break” After Having To Wait For McDonald’s
Source: Twitter / Twitter At a time when Black people are still being killed by police and protesters are being tear gassed and tazed, a white female officer is asking for the public to go easy on police after a local McDonald’s had a delay with her food. In a tearful rant posted online, the unidentified woman who appears to be an officer in the state of Georgia is appearing to be in a parking lot, although it’s unclear if she was still at the fast food chain where the delay occurred waiting on her food or a manager—detailing the “difficult” situation. “I got to the 2nd window to get my food. I am waiting, and I am waiting,” the woman said. “The girl comes to the window and asks me what my order was. I repeat my order and my coffee. Um. Order. And they ask me to pull up because my food is ...
Pot Bellied White Guy Goes On “All Lives Matter” Rant In Bed-Stuy Because Of Coffee Shop’s “Black Lives Matter” Sign
Source: YouTube / Youtube Just when we all thought Brooklyn couldn’t get more gentrified, a colonizer from God knows where took issue with something that wouldn’t be an issue during the days of Big Poppa. This week in what was once known as “Do or Die” Bed-Stuy, a Trump-supporting neighborhood transplant, Abraham “Avrumy” Knofler took issue with a “Black Lives Matter” sign being posted at the Burly Coffee/Better Read Than Dead cafe in Brooklyn. “Avrumy” demanded that the sign be taken down before trying to educate the worker and everyone in attendance that “all lives matter.” Holding up the line and claiming that the BLM sign “caused the whole problem” of people arguing outside the shop’s window, the seemingly 6-months pregnant Knofler had no problem recording his entire rant about the sig...
After #BlackOutTuesday Snafu, Instagram Vows To Amplify Black Voices
Source: ERIC BARADAT / Getty #BlackOutTuesday was a noble cause but wasn’t executed properly inadvertently silencing Black voices in the process. Instagram is now vowing to that it will ensure that it won’t happen on its platform again. Earlier this month, Instagram came under fire following the #BlackOutTuesday movement. The protest was initially organized by workers in the music industry, and Instagram users have been sharing photos of black squares in solidarity with black victims of police violence. Instead, Instagram was accused of “shadowing banning” or blocking important information related to the protests because people were also throwing in the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag. Instead of seeing content related to the marches, videos of police abusing their power, users noticed the ...
Anderson .Paak Addresses Police Brutality on New Single “Lockdown”: Stream
Anderson .Paak is marking Juneteenth with a new single addressing racism and police brutality. It’s dubbed “Lockdown” and comes with a corresponding music video helmed by famed director Dave Meyers (Billie Eilish, JAY-Z, Ariana Grande). Also known as Freedom Day, Juneteenth celebrates June 19th, 1865, the day the Emancipation Proclamation finally went into full effect throughout all of the Confederate States of America. Legalized slavery may be a thing of the past, but as we’ve seen in just the last few weeks, racism and white supremacy are still very much a(n ugly) fabric of US society, and this is what .Paak focuses on in his latest track. “Sicker than the COVID, how they did him on the ground?/ Speakin’ of the COVID, is it still goin’ around?” says .Paak, referencing the murder of Georg...
Jason Mraz Drops ‘Look For The Good’ Album, Donates All Royalties: Stream It Now
Jason Mraz’s new album Look For The Good has a real feelgood feel about it. With Look For The Good dropping on Juneteenth, the sense of occasion wasn’t lost on Mraz. He’s decided to donate all profits from it to non-profit organizations. “On June 19th, a historic day in the advancement of equality, I am proud to stand in solidarity with and be of service to Black Lives by donating all of my earnings from sales and streams of my new LP recording, Look For The Good,” explains Mraz in a statement. The $250,000 Mraz received as an advance on royalties will go to six beneficiaries, Black Lives Matter, San Diego Young Artists Music Academy, RISE San Diego, Grassroots Law Project, Center on Policy Initiatives, Equal Justice Initiative. “My personal engagement with philanthr...
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‘Wakanda’ Is a Myth: We Are Still Dying In Atlanta [Editorial]
Source: Julia Beverly / Radio One Digital Atlanta is painted as a Black utopia with its affluent and successful Black establishments, cultural exporting significance in entertainment and celebrity, and the city’s black ass leadership with a mayor named Keisha. Some, like rapper T.I., affectionately describe it as a real-world Wakanda, partly because Black Panther was filmed there, but in reality, the underbelly of the city led by Black mayors for almost 50 years is quite seedy. George Floyd’s very public execution at the hands of the Minneapolis police galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement in the Twin Cities but Georgia natives were still reeling from the loss of Ahmaud Arbery, who was murdered by white supremacists while jogging in Brunswick, Ga. As the nation became inflamed over wi...
Black Sabbath Selling Black Lives Matter T-Shirt in Style of Band’s Classic Logo
Black Sabbath are showing support for Black Lives Matter by selling a t-shirt with the activist movement’s name spelled out in the style of the iconic metal band’s logo. All net proceeds from the sale of the shirts will be donated to support Black Lives Matter. The godfathers of heavy metal played their last show in 2017, but they continue to have legions of fans throughout the world. The reaction to the t-shirt on the band’s Facebook page has been mostly positive, with some dissenters renouncing their fandom over its political nature. Those naysayers have been called out by supportive fans, who cite the band’s political anthems like “War Pigs” and “Wicked World” as examples of the heavy metal legends taking a stance on social issues in the past. The shirt plays off the purple band logo ma...
