Rest in Power by Black Thought (2018)

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Rest in Power

Rest in Power is a song about either social or racial injustice, specifically in response to the killing of Trayvon Martin, along with its official video, featuring the image of Trayvon, Colin Kaepernick, and Black Lives Matter activists. [1] The song paid tribute to the death of Trayvon Martin, the song also includes a 911 call from Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman. [2]

Black Thought is at the top of his game

Key Lyrics

In America, one tradition that lasts

Is black blood woven into the fibers o' the flag

Not addressing the problems of the past

To nowhere fast, but following the path

So called "leaders" on hire for the Klan

Still rapin' and settin' fire to the land

Well that's the climate, how can I become a man

If survival is a triumph and we got the underhand? Listen:

One killer, one child, one weapon

The shooter was unthreatened, seventy-one seconds

So many unanswered questions, I see reflections of myself

I feel like in fatherhood we are connected

Too long before the shooter was arrested

So wrong, worldwide, we've been affected

To them it's real, sins of the father remembered still

For every Trayvon Martin, there was an Emmett Till [3]

Black Empowerment

The song was released at the same time with the series of the same name Rest In Power, as a tribute to Trayvon Martin (17)’s death. The incident sparked nations’ protest in the Black Lives Matter movement. The documentary series Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin story premiered on July 30 , 2018 by Jay-Z and Paramount Network featuring home videos of family photos, new footage, and interviews with the family. The series will expose Trayvon's life who died in 2012. [4]

The rapper not only addressing the murder of the 17-year-old young black man, but also addressing the systemic racism in America that still undergoes.

Potent lyrics include “In America, one tradition that lasts/ Is black blood woven into the fibers of the flag” and “So called “leaders” on hire for the Klan.” Throughout this song, he is also said that slavery and segregation should just be left in past, with line: "Not addressing the problems of the past/ To nowhere fast, but following the path.” The song also linked between what happened in the past and present: “For every Trayvon Martin, there was an Emmett Till.” The 14-year-old boy was lynched in Mississippi on August 28, 1955, Till and Martin became the protest movements sparked. [5]

References

  1. Sawyer, Jonathan. BLACK THOUGHT SHARES TRAYVON MARTIN TRIBUTE “REST IN POWER”. highsnobiety.com. Retrrieved January 25, 2021
  2. Muhammad, Latifah. 15 Powerful Songs That Embody and Support Black Lives Matter Movement. July 2, 2020. etonline.com. Retrieved January 25, 2021
  3. Rest in Power Black Thought. genius.com. Retrieved January 25, 2021
  4. Price, Joe. https://www.complex.com/music/2018/07/black-thought-pays-tribute-to-trayvon-martin-with-rest-in-power. July 20, 2018. complex.com. Retrieved January 25, 2021
  5. [https://www.ongoinghistoryofprotestsongs.com/2018/07/25/daily-dose-of-protest-rest-in-power-black-thought/ Daily Dose of Protest: Rest In Power – Black Thought}. July 25, 2018. ongoinghistoryofprotestsongs.com. Retrieved January 25, 2021