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In Our Headphones

Essam - Free Palestine

In Our Headphones

KEXP

Music, Music Commentary

4.41.1K Ratings

🗓️ 8 July 2021

⏱️ 3 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Essam - "Free Palestine," a 2021 self-released single.

South Seattle-based rapper/poet and community organizer Essam wrote his first rap at the age of eight. “I wrote a personal narrative essay – it was the first time it wasn’t research – and I realized that writing is for me,” he told the University of Washington at Bothell.  He's since released two albums: 2018's 12.12 and last year's LP Chapter20six; early last month he shared the powerful new single "Free Palestine," stating, "my grandfather used to say when she calls then we always gotta answer." Check out the video below, shot/edited by Muzammil Siddiqee against a mural by artist Gabril. 

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Transcript

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0:00.0

My grandfather used to say when she calls and we always got an answer

0:24.0

Now we heard a call, how many people going to answer?

0:29.0

Free Palestine till it's backwards, the streets for the wind, tears for a new bloodshed

0:34.0

It's a cold girl, smoke rise up cuz my job is silly blowing up like it's propane

0:37.0

Kill the kids in the innocent, Israel ain't showing no shame

0:40.0

One of my free Palestine till it's backwards, with a poker every single day we pray

0:44.0

Truth is K like 90 days, so I'm always going to speak up till I'm down in my grave

0:48.0

We gon' fight in back in ways, battles cost gon' lead the trace

0:51.0

That case still the same, I swear to God ain't nothing change

0:53.0

So, umma is one body, if you hurtin' then I'm hurtin' so

0:56.0

Ride it for the palies, all the way, tryna preserve their roots

0:59.0

Set a knock indoors, I IDF stay knockin' roots

1:01.0

You see the picture in the videos, that's how to prove

1:04.0

Kill the children, expose the villains, who killin' for the thrillin'

1:07.0

You will never know the feeling, body stackin' to the ceiling in my city

1:10.0

They be drilling, man, I'm tryna change the focus, man, we try, you night the world

1:14.0

This message shoulda opened, white supremacy, the greatest enemy

1:17.0

Our country's taxes, really funding the Israeli military

1:20.0

They'll withstand this, how they paint the picture, also vividly

1:22.0

Forget the war on terror, they back in the terrorists' answer

1:25.0

My grandfather used to say when she calls and we always got an answer

1:28.0

Free Palestine till it's backwards, now we heard her call

...

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