With Run The Jewel’s RTJ4 lined up to be released on June 5th, Killer Mike has taken it upon himself to preview one of the upcoming tracks, “Walking In The Snow.” And while a sneak peek is generally seen as a joyous affair, this latest arrives under somber circumstances. Though it wasn’t specifically written about the death of George Floyd, Mike’s lyrics about police brutality resonate even harder in the wake of it.
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“And every day on the evening news they feed you fear for free, and you so numb you watch the cops choke out a man like me,” he raps, over El’s off-kilter production. “And ’til my voice goes from a shriek to whisper, ”I can’t breathe” / and you sit there in the house on couch and watch it on TV / The most you give’s a Twitter rant and call it a tragedy.”
It’s unclear whether Mike’s verse offers his suggestions as to what might be done, but it doesn’t appear as if he’s particularly satisfied with the current societal state. He all but confirms as much in his caption, writing “I will keep pushing for a better society but I refuse to not acknowledge the one I am stuck with.” Given everything that has transpired, all the racial tension that seems to be brewing in the United States, it’s no surprise that Mike feels the way he does. For now, he remains one of the most powerful voices in the game, speaking as an authority when people need to hear it the most.
Look for Run The Jewels 4, complete with the full version of “Walking In The Snow,” on June 5th. Rest in peace, George Floyd.
