Gun violence is a plague that has affected many (especially people of color) in the US. Although there’s a long way to go in fighting it, it’s little drops of water like Cliftun’s debut EP that will eventually make up the mighty ocean of revolution. The Poetry in Violence, Act 1 is the Los Angeles based rapper’s latest release and through imagery and drama, he tackles gun violence and police brutality in the first act. It is accompanied by a mini-documentary that highlights the inspiration behind the main theme as well as visuals for the songs on the 5-track EP. “I want to be a different voice, a different beacon for these young black guys,” he says in the documentary. Check it out below:
The opening track, “Sweet Armageddon”, is a scenario of a studio performance that leads to him getting shot at by the police because his paper was taken for a gun. With this, he describes how innocent black people get killed. Through his lyrics, on “Hotline to Heaven”, “Machine”, and “Cupid’s Rampage” he makes a satire of America’s unhealthy romance with violence until he takes an intermission with the final song, “Race” (featuring Robyn The Bank).
