Honestly it’s a shame how relevant this song still is today, when it was created in October 2019 after the shooting and killing of Botham Jean. Botham Jean was a black man who was murdered in his own apartment by an off duty officer. The handling of this case highlighted issues in our justice system...
[Chorus]
What's a good time for a black man in America?
What's a free life when you gotta hide cause they scared of ya?
Tell me
[Verse 1]
R.I.P. Trayvon, rest in peace Botham (R.I.P.)
I know that both ya ain’t go out as you were ‘posed to (Nah)
You send condolences through short sentences, huh? (What?)
What? (What?) Tell me: who we consoling?
I know my life could change at any moment
And it won’t be due to something I did
Might be my look or cause of my appearance
Maybe the clothing that covers my skin
Might be the fear I project onto man
My phonе may look like a gun in my pants
Your wrong assumption may lead to my end
Could bе due to your own ignorance
Why talk about it? 'Cause it hits home (Home)
Picture my mom on the phone coming to terms with the fact that I'm gone
Could be the a devil in a uniform (Yeah)
Lurking in my rear view? (Uh)
Eyes blood shot red
Lights on my face blue
[Chorus]
What's a good time for a black man in America? (Atatiana Jefferson, Jamarion Robinson)
What's a free life when you gotta hide cause they scared of ya? (Philando Castile, EJ Bradford)
Tell me (Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice)
What's a good time for a black man in America? (Michael Brown, Charles Kinsley, De’von Bailey, Stephon Clark, Walter Scott)
What's a free life when you gotta hide cause they scared of ya? (Freddie Grey, Botham Jean)
Tell me (Yeah)
[Verse 2]
Mama told me as a lil’ black boy growing up would be different
To add to that she‘s an immigrant, the scape goat of the system
She used to dress me in uniforms, used to think it brought the wrong attention
Now, I understand she was doing that solely for my protection
To be black is to be stared at
To be black is to be feared
To be black is to be glared at
I'm black and super rare
To be black is not a curse
My black is a blessing
To be black is to be fed up
Beat the block until they hear us
[Bridge: Kham & Erinn Knight]
Y'all don't get it!
They're still lynching us!
Police are still allowed to kill us!
A black man was murdered by police, again!
(Ooh-whoo!)
The blacker the berry
The blacker the berry (Yeah)
The blacker the berry (Yeah, y'all don't get it!)
The blacker the berry (Ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy)
[Verse 3]
How many lives do we have to lose to make the point clear nothing left to prove?
How many times for us to realize the ones at top don’t care for our lives?
Who has to die for them to see why a change must be made? Our lives are not safe (The blacker the berry)
If I came up in your house and hit your family where it hurts
If I treated you and your people like y’all ain’t have no worth
If I took your son or daughter and still got to walk free
What would you do if I were you and you were me?
If you can't see the issue, I suggest you feel the cries
Staying silent shows your loyalty to the other side
When we gon' be less hostile and more human?
Soon as we make progress, they always get to-
[*Gun shots*]
BOTHAM was written by Khambrel Rembert.
BOTHAM was produced by Enzo Gran.