MP3: Stream ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ By @LyricsBorn

In the wake of the recent absurdities, acclaimed rapper/producer Lyrics Born released his latest work, a cover of Gil Scott-Heron’s iconic poem and song, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” featuring European funk band, An Apple A Day. Released originally as an anthem for African-American activism in the 1960’s, the issues presented in the work are still prevalent today.

Interviewed by SF Weekly, Lyrics Born stated, “I was both honored and ambivalent when presented with the opportunity of working with An Apple A Day on a remake of Gil Scott Heron’s classic song,” adding that he was “Honored to be the guy who was asked to remake the song, but ambivalent, because to be completely honest, the ‘opportunity’ to do so shouldn’t even exist anymore. We as human beings should’ve won The Revolution long ago.”

In the midst of a modern political revolution Lyrics Born has rewritten the lyrics, while maintaining the essence of Scott-Heron’s voice, to reflect the tragedies of Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant, and the unjust deaths of other young men of color. Fully invested in the message Lyrics Born maintains that “For all the beautiful things that America is and has become, we have an ugly historical legacy of racial and cultural inequality that won’t seem to let up.

News of young, unarmed Black, Brown and Beige men such as Trayvon, Oscar, and Michael shot dead by law enforcement flood our social media timelines every 28 hours, creating a relentless tide of sorrow, disappointment, and anger in the nation. This horrific tradition should’ve ended in Gil-Scott Heron’s time, and ‘The Revolution’ should’ve been studied and revered as a musical timepiece, emblematic of a troubled period in American history ‘way back when.’ Yet here we are again… and again… and again.” “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” was featured in his mixtape ‘The Lyrics Born Variety Show Season Six‘ which was released on October 28th and will serve as the second single from his forthcoming album, ‘Real People’, set to drop in early 2015.