Remember when Kanye West immortalized his famous quote, “Racism’s still alive, they just be concealin’ it”? on “Never Let Me Down”? While that was sort of true at the time The College Dropout was recorded in 2004, that line is pretty much irrelevant these days. Concealed racism? Yeah, not so much. In 2016, it’s straight up and in your f*cking face. Check the popo’s track record if you think I’m fibbing.
Oscar Grant. Michael Brown. Aiyana Stanley-Jones. Trayvon Martin. Jordan Davis. Eric Garner. Tamir Rice. Walter Scott. Freddie Gray. I mean, the list just goes on and on. And now, we have to add two more names to this ever-growing, stomach-churning list of unarmed Black men murdered at the hands of police: Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.
Bay Area duo Golden Age, comprised of producer MaliciousLee and emcee Do D.A.T. decided to hit the studio to jot down and address their views on the police’s calculated executions against Black men, and America’s systemic racism with a new song titled “What’s A Black Life Worth?” — a riveting song and question, which, honestly, shouldn’t even have to be posed. The duo explained their reasoning behind recording this much-needed song: “It’s our way of entering the dialogue by asking a simple and poignant question.”
Stream “What’s A Black Life Worth?” below, set to appear on their upcoming album, MTV Is Dead due out July 22nd via Golden Age Music.
