Yasiin Bey x Preservation "Freedom Is Everybody's Job" (Old Numbers)
Yasiin Bey x Preservation "Freedom Is Everybody's Job" (Old Numbers)
The homie Preservation--producer, DJ for Yasiin Bey, FKA Mos Def, and architect of the recent The REcstatic remix album--dropped his own album project yesterday, as teased on this very site back when we premiered his "Quiet Dog Bite Hard" rework. The album--titled Old Numbers--features the likes of Bey, Jean Grae and Edo G touching Pres' unassailable productions for a varied and well-rounded collection of progressive raps; you can get a taste via the album trailer at bottom and the video for "Disorderly Conduct" featuring 32FX, which was directed by Pres himself (then hit the links below to cop).
Yasiin breaks down the obvious-yet-elusive truth revealed in the title of one of the comp's standout tracks "Freedom Is Everybody's Job" (full disclosure: we posted a stream of the song yesterday which turned out to be an unauthorized upload and have since taken it down by request-ed.). The track--and the sentiment--really could not have come at a better time, following on the heels of Yasiin's July 4th/pre-Ramadan surprise, an intense re-creation of the force-feeding that is being inflicted on Guantanamo detainees as Standard Operating Procedure to deal with hunger strikes. With that gesture Bey is dancing on the precipice where performance art becomes guerilla action--all the more devastating because in this case, it so powerfully counter-acts the state's control of information and media with a simple act of solidarity. Suffice it to say if freedom is everybody's job (yup.) Yasiin is putting in super extra duty 8-days a week tuff work here. Analyze an excerpt of the Yasiin's memorable stream-of-conscious outro below and then hit the links for more goodness.
I'm playing golf with Don Cornelius on the moon / I won't be back soon / I reign from June to June / MD, JD, how we do/ Definition, Preservation, beautiful / For me and mines / Yours and you / Ride with me nowWe got work to do, we got work to do /Freedom is everybody's job, now /And my work so beautiful
>>>Purchase Old Numbers (via Mon Dieu Music)
