Songs

Sidewalk Chalk – “A Suite for Black Lives”

blame it on JES7 May 14, 2017

With what seems like a fully dysfunctional dictatorship in place (don’t worry, I have a sneaking suspicion this won’t last too much longer), America, once again, has been severely divided as a nation. The targeted violence against People of Color, especially Black men and women hasn’t ceased, and the mainstream media has, for the most part, chosen to completely ignore or downplay that this is still happening in 2017.

Make no mistake about it: we’re definitely living in dark times. Fortunately, Chicago collective Sidewalk Chalk is aiming to return light and hope through their music, as they continue making the final preparations before releasing their new album An Orchid Is Born.

Entirely produced by GRAMMY-award-winning musician Robert “Sput” Searight, An Orchid Is Born will be split into three separate but cohesive movements: The Hope, The Loss and The Birth which will encapsulate “the latest chapter of the band’s growth as a unit – a period somehow beautified by a series of deep wounds that might have derailed a less focused collective.”

On the heels of their previous release, “Dig” and it’s accompanying video, Sidewalk Chalk return with “A Suite for Black Lives”—inspired by the Black Lives Matters movement.

Sidewalk Chalk’s MC/frontman Rico had this to say in an official press release:

“For people of color in this country, achieving self-acceptance is far more difficult because we’re taught to hate ourselves by the media, the education system, and politicians. This song is about struggling with internal demons and then turning on the external ones. I could write a damn dissertation on this but I’ll leave it at that.”

Listen to the song below and pre-order An Orchid Is Born, out June 2nd, on iTunes.