0:00
Apple Music launches June 10th, 2022, Freedom Songs.
Search this video
0:02
This is a a very carefully curated and thoughtful selection of of music originally created to celebrate and honor this holiday.
0:08
And no one better than to deliver a song like Galveston, like one of the most important and vital voices, not only for equal rights, but also for what is just generally right across the board.
0:23
That's Lupe Fiasco I'm talking about. Listen you saying? How's things? Things are good, man.
0:27
This is a powerful piece of music and I can't imagine it was a a regular day in the studio, a regular assignment for you.
0:35
You know, a subject that you're well versed in and very aware of.
0:37
But how was it turning that into into into art, into music, into a song like Galveston?
0:43
I mean, songs like that are always uh unfortunate.
0:48
You know what I'm saying?
0:48
Like I find myself to tell a lot of uh ghost stories.
0:52
You know, when you look at kind of like what's the fundamental concept behind some of the stuff that I particularly talk about.
0:57
It's It's a lot of bringing dead people back to life.
1:04
Um trying to kind of conceptualize death in certain ways and kind of work through that and figure it out.
1:10
And unfortunately, I'm I'm I'm somewhat decent at doing it.
1:14
Um and I actually got a I actually don't mind it.
1:17
You know what I'm saying?
1:19
Like I actually feel like there's something about you know, speaking to legacy, speaking to history.
1:25
But unfortunately, you know, for us as black people in America, a lot of that history is is extremely violent, it's extremely oppressive, it's extremely demeaning.
1:33
Um and even in our celebrations.
1:38
You know what I'm saying?
1:38
Even for for June 10th, you know, the the one kind of big federal holiday that we got, you know, outside of Martin King Day, is like you know, it's the it's not to belittle anyone else's holidays cuz a lot of other people's holidays, a lot of other groups, their holidays are based in kind of struggle and celebrating or remembering some type of violence in the past.
2:05
But for us, like Juneteenth is like you know, we the the last people that they told that slavery was over.
2:10
It's like they forgot to tell black people that slavery was over, you know, in Galveston. You know?
2:19
And so it comes with a certain level of like uh maybe maybe I'll speak on it.
2:23
Maybe I'll maybe I'll stop speaking right now, but you know, it's unfortunate, you know, that we got to make songs like that.
2:27
But at the same time, too, you know, it feels good to be able to be in a position uh of strength, in a position of power, um not not truly equal, but at least we got our own footing to kind of direct and speak to speak and act and have jobs of our own design and careers of our own design, and it's not kind of put together by some white folks.
2:50
So, or maybe maybe maybe not.
2:55
Many people know you for your ability to rip a mic, create incredible rap records, to be able to historic to to put this in in historical context, even with those that those violent themes and the pain attached to it.
3:11
It it must feel somewhat rewarding for you as a as an as an artist in rap to know that rap is here to tell that story.
3:18
That that that you're alive at a time when that music can tell that story and and can can educate people.
3:24
For me, it's like I wish we didn't have to tell that story.
3:27
You know, I wish I wish I wish I wish we didn't go through some of the pressure points and the pain points uh that created this thing that we do.
3:36
You know, I'd rather be a rocket scientist, you know what I'm saying?
3:37
I'd rather be a evolutionary biologist, you know, I'd rather be a astrophysicist, right?
3:42
Like I don't want the end all to be entertainment, basketball, like that.
3:50
Like that's not cool, you know?
3:52
Um so part again like for me like Galveston is not a celebratory record.
3:58
You know what I'm saying? It's a ghost story. Yeah. Yeah.
4:00
You know, it's it's a a warning to the past to like yeah, we celebrate but I'm and this is the funny part. I'm sure that they knew.
4:09
You know, I'm sure that that my ancestors who who who were at the point of of uh emancipation, you know, and felt that shockwave of you know, them being considered or kind of labeled as being free {quote} {unquote} by the federal government at that time were were highly celebratory for a couple days, you know, but you know, emancipation proclamation June 19th, 1865, right?
4:38
Or at least when they found out in Galveston.
4:39
But then guess what else gets gets born in 1865? The Ku Klux Klan.
4:47
You know what I'm saying?
4:47
That That that 1865, you feel me?
4:50
So even in the when we get an opportunity to kind of celebrate something or opportunity to overcome, you know, they rip it from us.
5:02
You know, Martin Luther King Jr.
5:02
didn't die from natural causes. He got shot. You know?
5:09
Malcolm X didn't die from natural causes. He got shot.
5:13
You know, so even the people that we celebrate and make murals of, man, they they they they were snatched from us you know, in a in a way to kind of bring us down.
5:21
And so it's it's unfortunate that like we can't celebrate the 100th year birthday of of Martin Luther King.
5:29
Not not on his 100th anniversary, but like he'd lived to be 100 years old.
5:35
You know what I'm saying?
5:35
Like we should be celebrating that slavery only lasted 2 years instead of 400. You know?
5:43
We We be celebrating that we got more kids you know, going into universities than going into record labels.
5:50
So, for me, I I don't take I I take a certain joy in it from a technical standpoint just cuz it's more craft.
5:59
But, when you step back and edit minutes, it's sad. You know? It's scary. It's spooky. It's wicked.
6:07
And it's always I use the other people like, "No, it's cool. It's fine. It's happy. It's this."
6:10
And that's fine for them.
6:11
But, for the man in black, you know, for me, it's it's unfortunate that we got to make songs like that.
6:16
And it's unfortunate that we got to do it in a form that was considered to be the lowest of the low.
6:24
You know, we didn't get into the Grammys automatically. We had to wait decades.
6:28
And you know what I'm saying?
6:28
Like we had to prove ourselves a hundred different times.
6:31
Had to die and get shot for for us to sell a bunch of records.
6:36
And then we had to make the goofiest, dumbest, most violent in the world to get appreciation. Right?
6:40
And now they're just using and abusing us.
6:43
You know what I'm saying?
6:45
Like pop like posthumous album after posthumous album. Kind of hoping you die.
6:50
Yeah, hoping you go to jail so we can sell more records and you call the album from prison like that.
6:54
So, you know, I still got my beefs with this culture.
6:58
I still feel like I figured it out completely, but you know, such is life.
7:03
You know, it's one of the things I've always really admired many things I admire about you, bro, is that you think the stuff through.
7:10
And then when you figure it out what you want to share, you do so unapologetically and in a very decisive way.
7:16
Regardless of how people might feel about it.
7:18
And that's what I'm saying.
7:18
It's a double-edged sword.
7:19
You know, so I want to make sure that we know that we know it's both sides of the sword, right?
7:22
And I I operate from a place of darkness and I operate from a place of pain.
7:29
And I don't hide that, you know?
7:29
And for me, sometimes you got to shut you got to shut that off to make records like that.
7:35
But, then when it's over and people start asking you questions about it, then we talk about it.
7:40
I'm so grateful that we're still here and able to connect like this.
7:41
It's been too long, but I I admire you so much, man, and for so many reasons.
7:47
And I'm glad I got a chance to to to to share that with you again.
7:50
And on behalf of Apple Music, you know, say thank you for contributing such a powerful and to your point painful reminder about what the reality of Juneteenth is beyond the day and the celebration.
8:03
There is a reality and that must be remembered.
8:04
And you know, there I go to remind us.
8:07
So And just to be clear, sort of folks that are celebrating Juneteenth, celebrate it to the fullest.
8:12
You know, like I'm just the dark dude the weirdo in the corner watching your back.
8:17
But as you celebrate it, celebrate it deeply.
8:19
Enjoy the playlist, enjoy the music, enjoy the festivities, create your own festivities.
8:26
It's a It's a Again, it's a holiday that has been so under-designed for so long.
8:30
You know, take the opportunity to design what Juneteenth means for you and how you choose to celebrate it for you and yours and all are welcome.
8:37
You know, it's not just a black holiday.
8:38
It's a people's holiday, a reminder of of the of of overcoming some of the that's in this world.
8:45
And we're going to do it with style, we're going to do it with grace, we're going to do it with flair, but we're going to do it with dignity and remembrance as well.
8:50
So, happy Juneteenth everybody.