T.I. performs at the BET Experience. | Photo: Ural Garrett
T.I. has built a career off of being one of the forefathers of trap music, butthis year he's beenusing his raps to speak out against racial injustice.
It kicked off with "We Will Not,"in which T.I.usesrapid-fire rhymes and a beat by frequent collaborator Mars to decrypolice brutality. He released the song shortly after charges against the police officers involved in Freddie Gray's death were dropped. He upped the ante with "Warzone," an anti-police brutality banger with a provocative video that reenacts the deaths of Tamir Rice, Eric Garner and Philando Castile, but with white actors portraying the victims and black actors portraying the police.
He dropped an entire politically-charged EP called Us Or Else on Tidal Friday, and"Black Man"stays on message as T.I. calls on Meek Mill,Quavo (of the Migos) and Rara to drop passionate raps that calls out police brutality. The music video seems to painta street scenario that looks closer to a video that T.I. may usuallymake, butends with the lyricists leading a protest. Everyone on the song rises to the occasionwith rhymes more substantial than usual, butClifford Harris himself has themost memorable lines on the record. "We say Black Lives Matter, y'all say All Lives/but y'all ain't the ones getting hogtied," T.I.says.
Watch the video below, and listen to Us Or Else- which also features guest appearances from Killer Mike and Big K.R.I.T. - exclusively on Tidal.
