Kweku Collins has been seen the tragedy of police brutality that’s taken over the streets of Chicago and the nation first hand. Living in one of the most violent cities in the country, as well as the center of one of the more recent murders from the hands of a police man (17-year-old Laquan McDonald was shot 16 times by a Chicago policeman), he’s seen the narrative of the systemic violence play out. But Kweku Collins isn’t one to settle. With his latest tune, “Death Of A Salesman,” he offers the awareness of the issue, but delivers his message with a strong sense of speculation and hope.
Over Odd Couple’s bright, humming production, Collins preaches “Murder, murder, how they got bodies/they got a quota, it ain’t no good,” attempting to break down the barrier between acceptance and rebuilding. The dual threat shares the tale of how he hates his “Uncle Sam,” who wants to give him a gun and fight for him, but knowing he’s more than a pawn in the government’s game, he turns the gun right back around on him.
Collins talked to Billboard, who premiered the single, about “Death Of A Salesman” and his upcoming EP, Nat Love, which is set to drop via Closed Sessions:
“‘Death Of A Salesman’ is about awareness, destruction, and ultimately reconstruction. Being failed by a system created to ‘protect and serve’ the people within its jurisdiction is daily. Pay attention.”
“Nat Love is a story about development. It’s about creating a place for yourself where you otherwise have none. It’s hard to explain; it’s kinda like a chisel taken to a sculpture with no defining features.”
Kweku is one of the brightest talents in the music world today. Revisit his Say It Here, While It’s Safe EP from last summer, and stream “Death Of A Salesman” below.
