Justice by Essa

You know what’s absurd
I write for a living
and I’m lost for words
Lost my faith
haven’t quite lost my nerve
But I might lose my mind
At what’s occurred
There’s barely any black men
who haven’t been
Stopped and searched
Through suspicion they do not deserve
Many get
mocked and cursed
Cuffed and bound
tossed to curbs
ruffed around
often worse

We send space ships
up off the Earth
But can’t send down
crooked Cops to serve
And protect black lives
tell me what they’re worth?
I said serve and protect
did you clock the words?
Cause it feels like
they’ve not been heard
Yeah they serve AND protect
but who and what? observe
Another black life lost four officers
Only low charged at first is that not perverse?

Halfway across the earth
here in Britain it’s
Same shit Different
toilet with a lid on it
You’re mad for thinking it’s
An Isolated tragic incident
A few bad apples bitten in
Due Diligence proves That’s just ignorant
When you check the stats on Black Imprisonment
Deaths in custody with a lack of convictions you’ll
Soon see that a pattern is visible

I remember when I first studied law
Saw The Stephen Lawrence case and how his murderers walked
Institutional racism
I hadn’t heard it before
That’s what the macpherson report observed in the force
Years later have we learned from it all?
Progress feels slow like we’re learning to crawl
Smiley Culture, Mark Duggan, and so many more
deceased - Those that did it still walking free -

So many been through so much more then me
And I’ve felt fear every time I saw police
So many black men Apprehended Forcibly
No wonder why when an officer
Walks the street it’s called a beat -
I know it’s not all police
But it’s enough to know that if you call police
Then it might not go well at all for me
Amy Cooper knew that she was as sure as can be

We were appalled to see her white privilege
Used as a sword in sheath it’s quite sinister
That’s a force I feel like I’m living with
Pulling me in different ways in antithesis
Between Black and beige we find differences
My questions is, what ways Do I benefit?
From the Caucasian strain in My heritage?
In a world built by white supremacists?

I know some people don’t like my type
And some will say I can’t fight this fight
[no right to gripe]
When my wife is white, and my life is nice
If you sense my resentment and spite you’re right
See the trick that was played?
In the wickedest way
They’ve got us hating each other over different shades
Pulling brothers apart, pushing Sisters away
And they did it this way with that deliberate aim

‘cause we’re stronger together like the twist of a braid
they’ve given us the clippers just to trim it away
But I woke feeling different today
And I hope Floyd’s sacrifice isn’t in vain
A Civil rights fight in the Digital age
Where the Instagram fam and the Twitter brigade
Can see a life slipping away on Video tape
But some won’t let go of ignorant ways

Kaepernick took a knee some were more upset
Than when that pig put a knee onto George’s neck
“No justice, no peace” that’s not some sort of threat
It’s an equation, cause effect
When law enforcers are causing deaths
And not facing the law I guess
We’ve got lawless-ness?

Now that’s Anarchy, before the stores were wrecked
The law’s bereft that’s something we should all protest

And no I’m not some subversive militant -
Or worse, a simpleton Virtue signalling
This isn’t ... My struggle to be woke -
And join a revolution from the comfort of my home -
I’m not chasing hype I got nothing to promote
It’s just something that I wrote cause I’m struggling to cope
And plus because I know
that my sons are gonna grow
And one day they’ll wonder if I spoke -

Or choked
We’re underneath a yoke
We wanna cling to hope
Then we’ve gotta grip the rope
The Politicians don’t
our politics is broke
A monolithic boat
You wonder if it floats?
What a flipping joke
It’s obvious it won’t
No wonder people don’t
Feel like bothering to vote
Smoke, gets in your eyes, my heart bleeds
Every time I hear I can’t breathe

Justice for George Floyd
REST IN PEACE
Brionna Taylor
REST IN PEACE
Ahmaud Arbery
REST IN PEACE
BLACK LIVES MATTER
Yes indeed

• Hip-Hop/Rap
• Soulful Hip Hop
• rap
• uk hip hop
• London