While hip-hop as a whole has certainly made strides towards acceptance of (good) music across the emotional spectrum, it’s still a rarity to hear a song as vulnerable as Kazzie‘s “Help Us.” The Newark, New Jersey MC leads us, voice trembling and eyes teary, through the frightful norm of his neglected childhood–his uncle tying off in front of him–into a particularly traumatic moment, where not all of the details are specified but the near-sob with which Kazzie delivers his lines tell as much as we need to know. “Help Us,” with its hook not only lamenting the writer’s own troubled upbringing but that of all the children in his city, marks a moment where the weight of repeated loss, hurt, and witness to destruction become too overwhelming to possibly be comprehended by an earthly mind. At this moment of painful overload, it’s not even fathomable that another person could help, so God is called on instead. Kazzie is, in fact, working alongside some mortal forces to help quell Newark’s ongoing violence. Kazzie, Face Structure, and FP YouthOutcry will be aligning at Newark’s city hall to try to speak to children on how to cope with the gun violence, as well as how the community as a whole can bring their situation to light for the world at large.
You might also like
More from News
A Great Night In Hip-Hop. Paying Tribute to Hip-Hop’s Most Iconic Photo at Fotografiska NY
Please join XXL veteran journalists and contributors on May 9, 2023 — Sheena Lester, Datwon Thomas, Bonsu Thompson, Larry Hester, …
SLAUGHTERHOUSE Exclusive! Throwback to The Movement!
RESPECT. Exclusive! Assassination Day! Shady Records’ Slaughterhouse Counts down to The Release of Welcome to Our House. [Straight From The Crate...Originally Captured for RESPECT. …
BREAKING NEWS: MIGOS Legend TAKEOFF Murdered In Houston.
RESPECT. sends its condolences to the entire MIGOS family and relatives of Takeoff regarding the tragedy of his murder at …
