Beaumont, Texas-based artist Hei$enberg has just released a new song titled Skin Color, where he tackles racial injustice, police brutality while also stressing the importance of unity. This song comes as a bit of surprise, considering that the artist’s previous releases have provided more of a feel-good type vibe without any serious subject matter. He has now shown that he has the ability to address events that have actually occurred, which makes it much easier for even the average listener to relate. It is not hard to notice the emotion injected into the vocals of this song.
Skin Color – Single
There is a sense of pain and frustration in his voice that is complimented with great production. The instruments compiled to construct the beat amplifies the intensity of this track. Hei$enberg speaks on the death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. He also pays respect to James Bryd Jr in this song, who lost his life to a racially motivated hate crime that occurred in Jasper, Texas, in June of 1998. There is a personal connection between Hei$enberg and James Bryd Jr. Hei$enberg, born Steven Earl Scott, a Jasper, Texas native. He was the last person to see Mr. Byrd alive before he was picked up by three men who dragged him to death behind a Ford truck. In the song, he mentions his regret for not offering James Byrd a ride home and feels he could have prevented the killing. In today’s hip hop, there seems to be a lack of artists willing to address topics like this in their music. It is always a good sign when an artist can be vulnerable yet conscious in their music. This type of movement is the symbolism of growth as an artist.
There is a sad and dark vibe to this song, but the delivery of the lyrics helps mitigate some of that. In the hook, he mentions, “Skin color shouldn’t matter, we all are the same. If you think otherwise, then you should be ashamed.” If we could all live by this slogan, the world would be in a much better place. This song takes you on a dark, two-minute, and twenty-one-second ride, but it is a must-listen, regardless if you are a fan of hip hop music or not. Skin Color combats racism but also proves that real rap is not dead and is here to stay.
