Christina Ewe
If you’re British and have been living or just surviving in the inner cities of Britain, you’ve been waiting for a moment to capture the constant state of nervousness that masquerades as existence that many Black boys inhabit. ‘Run Run’ by Ray Blk is a poignant portrayal of life in inner-city Britain. It hearkens back to a bygone era where storytelling was the mainstay of the music industry. The simplicity of her lyrics, “it’s five o’clock and Johnny and his crew been camping out all afternoon,” symbolize the youth of those caught up in this low-value crime spree fueling the epidemic of murders of young Black boys and men in Britain’s inner cities.
‘Run Run’ is at its best, emotive. Lofty, pleading, and like Childish Gambino’s ‘This is America,’ it forces us to face a Britain you do not see on the travel brochures. It’s an evocative, raw, emotional portrayal of inner-city Britain, which ultimately succeeds in humanizing the unimaginable horror of the poverty induced, adrenaline-infused cycle of violence that is the mainstay of inner-city life for far too many Black boys. By the time she gets around to the chorus, her raspy tones implore the boys to survive. “Run Run for your freedom better run, run, you don’t wanna see the kingdom.” The relentless pace of the chorus, the perfect soundtrack to the life of boys both hunted and hunter.
‘Run Run’ is a work of effortless beauty. Ray Blk’s raw talent eclipses everything around her., Run Run is pure musical genius.
Follow her on twitter @RayBlk.
