(Photo by Sean Dunn of Mariah Parker, County Commissioner at World Without Cops protest on Sunday, May 31st, 2020 in Downtown Athens, Georgia.)
BLACK LIVES MATTER. It’s not a question. It’s not an invite for debate. It’s a definitive statement with a large exclamation point at the end and an implied FUCKING between “lives” and “matter.”
And honestly, I’m not a good person to be talking to you about such things. I’ve been negligent in my own responsibilities in covering music in Athens by often missing or sometimes outright ignoring music from Black artists. It’s an uncomfortable thing to admit but my comfort is the least important thing here. Even this post feels so useless to write but it’s my small platform and I want to use it well. Change begins at home and all that. It’s also not my place to put my own voice above others who are already doing the work I neglected to do. So.
You need to know where good coverage of hip-hop is so may I direct you to the awesome Volumes Hip Hop?
They’re a blog. A magazine. A podcast. Give them your attention, your mixtape, your money. They’ve got interviews, new releases, reviews, everything. You’ll find VHH in alt-weekly type racks around town and online everywhere.
VHH’s big thing right now is the Athens GA Hip Hop in Solidarity: Playlist for a Protest. Check it out.
Keep safe out there. Keep fighting the good fight. March if you can. Donate if you can’t. Write your elected leaders if you can’t do the first two.
athensmusicjunkie.com 