In this vintage reggae tune from Black Roots, the group comments on capitalism’s exploitation of poor and working class people. The song, “Take It,” says we’re “living in an unjust world, when the rich have put the poor in chains.” It empathizes with workers who labor from early in the

The following was originally published at Ongoing History Of Protest Songs. Lula Wiles is an Americana trio that effectively uses traditional music forms to provide relevant commentary on current issues. Made up of Isa Burke, Eleanor Buckland, and Mali Obomsawin, they recently released their sophomore album, “What Will We Do.”

Ambrose Akinmusire is a black jazz musician from Oakland who plays trumpet. Over the past decade, he has distinguished himself as an artist capable of infusing the notes he plays with a gracefulness and boldness that gives compositions a dynamic spirit. For his recent album, “Origami Harvest” (2018), Akinmusire wrestled

*The following was originally published at Ongoing History Of Protest Songs. Australian singer-songwriter Stella Donnelly recently released “Old Man”, the first single off her upcoming debut full-length album, “Beware of the Dogs,” available on March 8, 2019. In many ways, the song covers similar themes as “Boys Will Be Boys,” which

Kevin Gosztola and C.J. Baker compile list of best protest music albums from 2018, including Jean Grae & Quelle Chris, Kamasi Washington, and Xiuhtezcatl

Indigenous hip-hop artist Xiuhtezcatl saw magic in sunrises and rainfalls when he was a young boy. His appreciation of environment, what is natural, the humanity that binds people together, that gave him an innate sense of what was wrong with society, politicians, and the ecosystems that are dying around us.

The following was initially published at Ongoing History Of Protest Songs. Black Thought, the MC of The Roots, recently released the EP “Stream of Thought Vol. 2,” his follow-up to the second volume released earlier in the year. Because many now associate Black Thought by his birth name Tariq Trotter, as part

There are at least six million Syrian refugees who have fled the war-torn country since 2011. Millions are in countries, where they fled, waiting in camps for a chance to sail to freedom. They yearn for an opportunity to rebuild their lives in Europe, even as the rise of virulent

The following was originally published at Ongoing History Of Protest Songs. When studying the history of socially conscious hip-hop very few have had the impact of Chuck D. As the MC of Public Enemy, he contributed several albums and songs that make up the canon of essential protest music. And,

The phrase “thoughts and prayers” is reflexively uttered by elites, who desperately hope acknowledging tragedy will be enough to avoid doing anything to meaningfully address carnage and destruction. And for every tragedy that demands “thoughts and prayers,” there are many more examples in the United States and throughout the world