Listen To ‘Baltimore’ Protest Song By Prince Ahead of Today’s Rally 4 Peace Concert
After recent unrest in the city, Sunday will see the Rally 4 Peace concert to be held at Royal Farms Area in Baltimore, where Prince will be featuring his new protest song named, appropriately, “Baltimore.”
Prince is well known for being a private person and very rarely performs live, but his new rock-funk song, “Baltimore,” was posted Saturday on his SoundCloud page prior to the live performance to be held on Sunday. Listen to the song here.
https://soundcloud.com/prince3eg/baltimore
The song contains moving lyrics referring to the recent unrest and protests in Baltimore following the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, an African-American man who sustained fatal injuries in police custody.
The song also pays tribute to Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager killed by a white police officer in Ferguson Missouri last summer. Brown’s killing also sparked massive protests and unrest.
According to Slate, the many other black people who have died at the hands of police will also be remembered at today’s event.
Prince releases protest song: “Does anyone hear us pray? For Michael Brown or Freddie Gray” http://t.co/lNaU073L9M pic.twitter.com/V3EJ7fo7GX
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) May 10, 2015
Among the lyrics are phrases such as “Are we gonna see another bloody day? / We’re tired of cryin’ and people dyin’ / Let’s all take the guns away” and “If there ain’t no justice, then there ain’t no peace.”
According to Billboard, the song “Baltimore” was recorded by Prince at his Paisley Park studio in Minnesota, and earlier this week, the singer announced plans to perform live at the Rally 4 Peace concert today at Royal Farms Area. The show will be streamed live on the music-streaming website Tidal.
Prince will be joined by a funk-rock group 3RDEYEGIRL. Part of the proceeds from the concert will go to help local Baltimore-based youth charities.
Jay-Z, majority owner of the parent company Aspiro, said in a statement released by Tidal that he is honored to join Prince in his mission.
“I am honored to join Prince in his mission to inspire through the uniting power of music and be able to offer a platform where this moment can be shared globally.
“We invite all to experience the music and contribute in their own way to promote peace, tolerance and understanding.
“Our prayers go out to Freddie Gray’s family and every family affected by brutality and senseless violence.”
The statement continued by saying that as a “symbolic message of shared humanity and love for one another, people who attend the Rally 4 Peace are invited to wear something gray to the family-friendly Mother’s Day event.”
Anyone in the area will no doubt enjoy this moving and worthwhile Rally 4 Peace concert. Tickets are still available at Royal Farms Arena website.
[Photo: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images]
