By Odeisel
The year 2009 was just minutes old when BART police assassinated Oakland father Oscar Grant. He was shot in his back while lying in his stomach with a policeman’s knee pressing against his spine. If it was 1989, there would be a host of rappers speaking on it and calling for heads. In this millennium they are too enamored with accumulating chains of opulence than removing chains of oppression. Killer Mike conjures the spirit of 1991 Kill At Will era Ice Cube to address the situation and more on “Burn.”
The song begins with a call to protestors to stay non-violent and mimics the Sir Jinx production with slow, dusty drums, murky atmospherics, a female late 60’s vocal sample and a piano to add a dash of levity to the somber beat. Producer Sweatbox does an uncanny job of returning to that era and making it feel contemporary
Mike adopts a muted, West Coast cadence, similar in feel to Cube on “Dead Homies” complete with slow conversational cadence. His delivery is clear homage and very dope. Mike goes through his every day struggles, noting that the presence of a Black President was no magic wand to hood turmoil, he’s in and out of jail, his woman is promiscuous because he isn’t home to hold her down and he’s stressed and frustrated. The commensurate hood stress becomes a powder keg waiting to blow, that hopelessness and injustice from situations, like Oscar Grant’s, is more than enough to ignite. Killa does a fine job fitting that tragedy into the framework of his song and it makes you miss old Cube and the era when rappers actually gave a fuck.
“Burn” presents Killa Mike in a different light than his recent music. It is relevant, strong, and respectful of both Oscar Grant, and the spirit of real conscious Hip-Hop (not the back pack save the world crap that presently occupies that space). Well done.
Killer Mike – “Burn”
*updated with video release
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