Bloc Party founder Kele Okereke has shared a new single called “Melanin”. It was originally supposed to be released on his solo album 2042 last year, but he removed it from the tracklist when he couldn’t get the sample cleared in time. Under his first-name-only moniker Kele, he dives into the idea of race and education in Britain — or, more specifically, how those subjects are barely taught at all. “I believe that if we truly want to dismantle the racial division in this country, then it starts with the education system,” said Kele in a statement. As such, “Melanin” seeks to right this wrong, namely by calling for a more accurate syllabus that tells the truth about the country’s colonial past. “I’m glad that we get to share the track now, at a time that it seems more pertinent than ever,” ...
This past month has been filled with Black Lives Matter marches and protests against police brutality that have gained massive support as well as ignorant criticisms. In a new interview, Shaun of the Dead actor Simon Pegg made his position abundantly clear, saying that he supports Black Lives Matter and that anyone complaining about them “should just shut the fuck up.” In an interview with The Observer, Pegg shed some light on the diversity initiatives being undertaken by Stolen Pictures, the production company he co-founded with Nick Frost. Pegg spoke about the changes coming to Stolen Pictures — particularly how he’s been scheduling meetings to better connect Black actors, writers, and directors to the resources and opportunities they need — and why he’s fed up with h...
Los Angeles officials Tuesday demanded an independent probe into the death of a young Latino security guard, whose shooting by police has fueled more protests against police brutality and racism. Andres Guardado, 18, was killed last week after a deputy fired multiple gunshots in Gardena, Los Angeles County. Police say Guardado was shot when he fled from an auto repair shop after he “produced a handgun.” Guardado’s death came during a period of nationwide demonstrations that began with the death in police custody of an African American man, George Floyd, in Minnesota last month. Los Angeles County’s board of supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved a motion for a “robust and independent investigation to ensure the truth is uncovered and justice is served.” A day earlier, Los Angeles Sheriff...
Source: Epic Games/ Nick Chester The video game community hit the pause button in support of the civil unrest sweeping the nation in the wake of the fatal arrest of George Floyd. Epic Games also quietly made a move in its game Fortnite in the wake of the protests. Players have noticed that all of the police-related vehicles in the game that include cop cars and SWAT vans are now gone. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a source at Epic Games claims the move wasn’t a political one but instead believes: “It’s just us being sensitive about the issues many people in our audience are dealing with.” The cars didn’t affect gameplay at all, plus they were not even driveable and just served as decoration for the game’s map. Of course, some gamers are not feeling Epic’s decision to remo...
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...
Public Enemy has long been the soundtrack for the fight against inequality — and that hasn’t changed in Trump’s America. Today, the group returns with a blistering new single for the times appropriately titled, “State of the Union (STFU)”. Chuck D seethes with rage as he calls for the destruction of the current administration: “It’s not what you think/ It’s what you follow/ Run for them jewels/ Drink from that bottle/ Another for years is gonna gut you hollow.” Produced by DJ Premier, it’s a classic Public Enemy track in the truest sense and culminates in the chorus, which finds Chuck D and Flava Flav singing: “State of the union/ Shut the fuck up/ Sorry ass motherfucker/ Stay away from me.” In a statement on the track, Chuck said, “Our collective voices keep getting louder. The rest of th...
A group of protesters toppled down a statue of Confederate General Albert Pike in Washington, D.C. on Friday night. The protesters gathered in Judiciary Square around the statue of Pike reportedly at around 11 p.m. (0400 GMT Saturday) and tore down the 120-year-old artwork 15 minutes later. The city’s only outdoor Confederate statue, after falling to the ground, was lit on fire before police officers arrived and extinguished the flames. The episode came on Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. President Donald Trump lashed out at the Washington, D.C. police for allowing the incident to happen. “The D.C. Police are not doing their job as they watch a statue be ripped down & burn. These people should be immediately arrested. A disgrace to our Country!” h...
Source: WENN/Avalon / WENN For the past few years Kanye West has made some very questionable political choices from throwing his support behind Donald Trump’s presidency to calling slavery a choice, but he finally did something we could get behind when he pledged to pay for the education of George Floyd’s daughter’s while also blessing the families of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery with financial assistance. On Monday night 6-year-old Gianna Floyd publicly thanked Kanye for his generous gift on her Instagram account (children have social media too. Welcome to 2020), and in the caption expressed her gratitude while tagging his famous wife, Kim Kardashian. “Thank You Kanye, Because of You I Will have a college Education… Mommy and I are so thankful for you and your family @kimkardashian.” ...