Jeru The Damaja emerged as a hero of "real rap" in the 90s when hip-hop started getting further commercialized than it ever has in the past. He's always been about bars over bullshit, especially when it came to pushing out a message. In the current climate of America, the rapper returned with a brand new single addressing the injustices while providing some historical context.
Marking Jeru's first release of the year, "POWER" is an unapologetic anthem addresing the current social injustices within the system. The rapper references the crack epidemic in the 80s and the effects that it had on the Black communities in the 90s and the murder of Fred Hampton. The rapper also makes reference to Kanye West, placing the rapper in the same group as the devil and God.
Peep Jeru The Damaja's new track below.
Quotable Lyrics
Unity makes it difficult to subjugate
In the abundance of water, make sure you hydrate
I been layin' low but still the underground advocate
The choice is yours: Devil or God or Kanye
About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years.
Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021.
Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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