For Immediate Release: NEW SONG “TEAR IT DOWN” IS A POWERFUL ANTHEM FOR THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT
With the presidential election just weeks away, artists Sam 'Truf' Hill, Kxng Crooked, and entrepreneur Freeway Rick Ross are wondering why neither candidate has put forth a plan to address police brutality. If they expect the Black vote, shouldn’t those voters expect some answers from them? “Tear It Down' is an evocative new track designed to force the candidates to answer. Armed with a chilling new music video, the song is both an indictment of America’s horrific history of racial injustice, and a powerful call to action.
Every once in a while a song comes along that perfectly captures a moment in time. The new anthem 'Tear it Down' by Sam 'Truf' Hill, featuring Kxng Crooked and Freeway Rick Ross shines an ignominious light on the police brutality endemic to Black and Brown communities. If there’s an upside to the horrific murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, et al, it’s that there has never been more dialogue surrounding systemic racism.
Powerful sports organizations like the NBA, NFL and MLB have used their vast platforms to help bring attention to racial inequality. And artists like Sam "Truf" Hill, Kxng Crooked, Freeway Rick Ross, and Jimi Kendrix have teamed up to provide an anthem for the Black Lives Matter moment. “Tear It Down” tells the tragic, and all-too-familiar tale of an unarmed black kid gunned down by the police. It’s a song about a grieving mother, grappling with unspeakable loss. The lyrics are at once hard-hitting, poetic and profoundly upsetting.
"We in the streets, 1 million deep, to show the beast that our lives matter. They gave the mic to a black mother, she said some shit that made my mind shatter"
The music video is an unflinching mix of disturbing archival news footage and the artist’s gritty street performance. And with an angst-driven sound that recalls NWA and Public Enemy, all the anger and emotions fueling the nationwide protests come screaming to the surface.
"Where we come from, we look at the police as a danger versus providing safety,” says Truf. “No police officer has ever saved me or mines from harm's way. Instead, they’ve only taken, damaged and destroyed our families -- for decades. And this shit has gotta stop. We aren’t targets at the shooting range. We’re living breathing people just like them.”
Though the song and video capture the anger and aggression of centuries of oppression, the artists aren’t condoning violence against the police. Rather, “Tear It Down” holds up a mirror, forcing us to face our past and present in hopes of exacting a lethal blow to the status quo. It’s a bold mission, but if history is any lesson, never underestimate the power of music to advance culture.
