Miguel now joins the ranks of hip-hop and r'n'b artists who have used their music as a source of therapy, for themselves and for those around them, in an effort to respond to the recent killings of two black men by police officers. Of course, we're referring to Baton Rouge native and father of five, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, who was shot by a Minnesota police officer while his 4-year daughter was in the backseat, and his fiancee in the passenger seat. These are just two of many we've heard about in the past year, propelling the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
The singer evidently couldn't sleep thinking about this turmoil, and decided to take the studio booth to record "How Many," a heartfelt record questioning just how many black lives need to be lost before a change happens. He wrote on his Soundcloud page, "This version was started (written/recorded) here in London in my hotel room between the hours of 4am and around 7am when i passed out. ill update this song every week until its complete. Please feel free to share."
Stay tuned for a proper CDQ version.
Quotable Lyrics
How many black lives, how many black lives
How many heart beats turn into flat lines
How many black lives, how many black lives
Does it take to wake a change