Lauryn Hill is using her music to voice her outrage over the situation in Ferguson, Missouri, through a new “sketch” version of her song Black Rage.
Since its release, the song has been played more than 85,000 times.
A take on the Rodgers and Hammerstein song My Favorite Things from the musical The Sound of Music, the remix was dedicated to the protests in Missouri following the fatal police shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown.
The song describes “all these kinds of things” that lead to unrest similar to that which is erupting in Ferguson in the past few weeks over police brutality.
“Black rage is founded on draining and draining, threatening your freedom to stop your complaining,” Hill sings. “Poisoning your water while they say it’s raining, then call you mad for complaining, complaining.”
An old sketch of Black Rage, done in my living room. Strange, the course of things. Peace for MO. – MLH https://t.co/47v9BEDoN6
— Ms. Lauryn Hill (@MsLaurynHill) August 21, 2014
Black Rage lyrics – http://t.co/Popfa0CEEP pic.twitter.com/LzhmeNOyfq
— Ms. Lauryn Hill (@MsLaurynHill) August 22, 2014
Hill joins other hip-hop artists who are supporting protesters in Ferguson.
Rapper Nelly, who hails from St. Louis, joined protesters as they marched, and hip-hop star J. Cole, visited the city and released the song, Be Free, in memory of Brown.
“As an artist I wanted to put my money where my mouth is,” rapper and activist Talib Kweli told CNN‘s Don Lemon. “I’m supported by the community that’s been brutalized. I have a son that’s Mike Brown’s age.”