"When it's people in trees? / When George was beggin' for his mother, saying he couldn't breathe / You thought to write about me?" she raps over a jazzed low-tempo beat.
In 70 seconds, Noname reminds us to focus. But could they be the Black parent who has that first "talk" with their child about what to do when they encounter a police officer in order to stay alive? In any case, I've played this song a lot in 2020 and it's a reminder that the relationship between law enforcement and the Black community has yet to be repaired. It could obviously be the command from a cop. Over a 9th Wonder drum loop, Phoelix sings, "They told me put my hands up behind my head / Then they told me if I move, they gon' shoot me dead." The lyrics are simple and straightforward although I'm fixated on the they he sings about. The video for The Dinner Party's "Freeze Tag" brought back some not-so-fond childhood memories. Suraya Mohamedĭinner Party, "Freeze Tag" (ft. Please remember these souls and say their names out loud. This instrumental is a soundscape to honor all Black men and women who have been killed by police, become victims of vigilantism, racism, hatred, violence, the list of atrocities is too long. With each keystroke and chord, hammers strike internal tuning forks, or tines, creating an ethereal, celestial resonance. Though he usually has a trumpet in his hands, on "Hooded procession (read the names outloud)" Ambrose Akinmusire brilliantly plays a Fender Rhodes, all by himself, with profound reverence. Otis HartĪmbrose Akinmusire, "Hooded procession (read the names outloud)" The reconciliatory verses might have been easy to tune out coming from someone whose star power aligned with corporate interests or high horses, but Lil Baby is a self-made superstar, the realest deal in ages, and the messenger matters as much as the message. The biggest rapper of the year wrote, recorded and released this protest anthem less than three weeks after the killing of George Floyd and two weeks after protestors took to the streets in Atlanta, and it sounded like something a pop perfectionist could have worked on for months. These 20 songs and albums represent some of the best protest music of 2020. Some continued career-defining legacies of pushing back against state violence others began using their voice and platform to decry entrenched systems of power. Artists across styles and genres expressed rage, resolve, mourning and solidarity. One of the most striking ways we'll remember the music of 2020 - a year of serious social reckoning, especially during the resurgence of Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May - was by the sounds of protest. In 2020, there were many ways to understand the year in music this week, we're considering four.
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