“Do better, cause they never taught us stocks and bonds, only taught designer clothes, gold chains, rocking charms, so I hardly paid attention, in my hood you feel that tension, where I’d rather make it flipping than to go a pay a tuition.”
It’s rare that I would quote such a long lyric in these write-ups, but Black Milk and “True Lies” deserves such treatment. The record puts public education and religion under the microscope, a theme that is not necessarily new, but one that begs for deeper examination in these current times. As a former CPS teacher and a student of sociology, I’ve have seen first hand the indoctrination and socializing that takes place in our schools. It’s scary, disgusting, and terribly unjust. While this is just a song, hopefully more people will listen and be inspired to action.
Black Milk talked about the new record saying, “On ‘True Lies’, I talk about how traditions and institutions are used to keep people from questioning the world around them and from demanding more for themselves. When I made the track, I envisioned a world full of zombies being told what to believe. Only a few come to realize most of what they’ve been taught about and within the institutions, like church, school, and government, around them are lies to impede both personal and collective progress.”
Black Milk delivers his critique over crunchy guitar riffs, drums, and and flutes – all done with live instrumentation. Black Milk is as good as one can get as a producer/musician/emcee. And I think it’s also due time for him to be talked about as one of the most slept-on artists – whatever that truly means in 2018. Feels like I’ve been saying the same thing for years, but Black Milk is the truth and he drops plenty of it in this new track from his forthcoming LP, FEVER.
The new LP releases on 2/23 via Mass Appeal and carries a politically charged theme that will see Black incorporate multiple genres, and bring guests such as Dwele, Aaron “Ab” Abernathy, Sudie and contributions from all-star musicians Chris “Daddy” Dave, Daru Jones, Malik Hunter, Ian Fink and Sasha Kashperko.