After first making an appearance together at the Dopehouse on Psymun’s “Lobby Music,” the two Minneapolis natives are back with the first track off their yet-to-be-titled collaborative album that is tentatively due out in September. Take in K’s words below then click play to hear the sounds. Peace to OKP.
The life and death of young Trayvon Martin is a tragic portion of this story and the song has become a dedication to him and what he represents.
“Sirens” was written as I watched the nightly news on TV with the sound on mute. Tragic news pieces flashed across the screen, ranging from the violence in Chicago to nameless victims of shootings in the Twin Cities. Suddenly, my mind was swarmed with thoughts about misrepresentation of people of color in the media and what it means to be a minority growing up in America. I thought about my cousin who was murdered in Memphis a few years ago. I thought about privilege. I thought about how law enforcement is perceived by the community based on different experiences and different socio-economic demographics.
From a general standpoint, the song is about how the odds are stacked against young men of color in America and how we’ve become numb to reaction – we almost expect it. What does that say about us as a society? The life and death of young Trayvon Martin is a tragic portrait of this story and the song has become a dedication to him and what he represents.
