Portland Hip-Hop artist Jordan Fletcher reflects on George Floyd’s passing in ‘8:46’ freestyle: Watch
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Jordan Fletcher’s ‘8:46’ freestyle is what I hope a lot of rappers are doing these days. He shot a quick two-minute and twenty-seconds video in black and white. The video opens with a shot of protests, a reminder that Black Lives Matter appears on the screen, and Jordan Fletcher walks down the street. This man is talking to you with his lyrics. He lets you know the media is a problem. How the media reports these blatant murders and how their language is biased.
He talks about how the police and court system is a problem; the unjust and discriminatory laws too. If you have any social media or news, then I do not need to explain, and I won’t. He calls out companies and celebrities for being silent, trying to distract to the masses, and how they have been stealing from the regular people to keep our interests and keep taking our coins. He brings up how they act as if they care or hear us, but it is a marketing ploy. He calls out racists who cannot see past their ignorance, sympathizers that are complicit, and White people who fail to acknowledge their privilege.
I am personally in search of a ‘Jesus Walks’, ‘False Prophets’, or even a ‘Changes’ vibe to be oozing from rappers right now. I am not saying artists have not been putting out content that relates to what is going on. Still, I appreciate that this artist’s bars reflect that he is aware of the racism, violence, and division, instead of merely treating the current events as something trendy. I am looking at rappers to put their emotions into their music. I am looking at rappers to put their opinions out and to take a stand because rap was a rebellion at one point, word to NWA and Public Enemy. Rap was about sharing personal truths and experiences through creative storytelling. Rap needs to come back home to the neighborhood and get out of the mansions in Calabasas and Buckhead. The future generations need a Crenshaw and Slauson (True Story). That is what I am looking for and wanting to hear. Jordan Fletcher did what he needed to with the ‘8:46’ freestyle.
