Joe Budden And Drake Beef Heats Up With 'No Shopping' And 'Afraid'
Although Joe Budden has been recently beefing with Drake, today he dropped a powerful freestyle dedicated to not only the fatal shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, but many other black people that have died at the hands of police brutality.
"Freedom," which uses the production from Beyoncé's Lemonade standout track of the same name, features Budden speaking to the inequalities black people in America have and continue to endure on a day to day basis. "Let's take a moment to stand and observe the hell we live in / No matter how hot a fire, it never melts the system," he begins. "Land of the free, the home of the brave/Can't let us be, we've grown from slaves/It's there if you want to read/I mean it's all in the page."
The song also features a sample of Jesse Williams' memorable speech from this year's BET Awards. Williams' encouraging and strong words resonate even more as the track is accompanied by old civil rights footage, as well as videos of police brutality both past and present. The video really makes you wonder how far we've actually come, as the footage used from the '60s isn't much different from what you see today. It's difficult and frustrating to watch, with Budden channeling that frustration into his passionate rhymes.
Below you can view the video for "Freedom," as well as read a statement Budden wrote for the song.
"I was told there was once a world where slaves communicated with each other via music, and though I wasn't present for that, the hip-hop I fell in love with always encouraged me to do the same (Thank you Public Enemy).... Let this act as an unfortunate reminder that times change and they don't. #BlackLivesMatter #YallLivesMatter #OurLivesMatter ... I'm afraid to wonder what happens when we as a ppl decide to stop saying it. Some deem us threatening now by sheer design. We are not. We are loving, passionate, cultured and proud, even during unrest. However, with every life viciously and maliciously taken by costumed evil, we grow more and more afraid. What will occur when too many of us are afraid? #IfYouDontValueMyLifeEYEWill #GodHelpUsAll #TheMissionIsGreat."
