Download Chill Moody's tribute to Michael Brown, "We're Worth More"
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Chill Moody | Photo courtesy of the artist

We know that Philly rapper Chill Moody is skilled at bringing the party, and is a serious self-promoter to boot. But the some of the best moments in hip-hop history are songs that address serious social and political issues in the hopes of changing the world for the better – from “The Message” to “Fight The Power” to Yeezus – and it’s great to hear that Moody has a knack for that as well.

Less than 48 hours after a U.S. grand jury declined to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri – and amid protests across the country – Moody posted a hard-hitting single called “We’re Worth More” to his Soundcloud.

He originally wrote the song on August 10th, the Monday after Brown’s death, but decided to shelve it after a friend told him “you need to drop it now while Ferguson is poppin.” As Moody explains:

I appreciated the compliment but was instantly taken back by the “while Ferguson is poppin” comment. Topical music shouldn’t be made in hopes to capitalize on a moment. Especially in cases like the ones addressed in this record, these problems are reoccurring and deserve our attention for a longer duration than the “while it’s poppin” grace period. Fast forward to today, the day after the decision was made to deny Mike Brown’s family the chance to receive justice, and I get a different message from a friend: “Chill, people need this record right now”. The change in commentary gave me a better understanding. Music helps healing. There is value in our lives, we have to take more claim to that.

Chill’s lyrics come from this perspective. Rather than specifically addressing the facts of the Brown case, he illustrates parallels between it and the Trayvon Martin case of 2013, outlining the dilemma of people who are targeted by those who are supposed to be protecting them: “They call us crooks with their hoodies up / truth hurts, they shoot first, there’s no remorse in killing us.”

Ultimately, “We’re Worth More” is a call to arms – not to revolt, but to show unity and the value of all human lives, no matter the color of their skin. Listen to and download the song below.

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