It’s been a while since we last heard anything from N.A.S.A., who covered Bob Marley’s “I Shot The Sheriff” featuring Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Karen O about year ago. Hip-hop duo from Los Angeles have now poured some more oil on the flame with their new video for the socially focused song “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot!” featuring voices of Sean Paul and Lizzo.
Full of anger and injustice, the video shows us tons of footage demonstrating police brutality, acts of defiance from indignant protesters, and an uncertain solution for the power abuse problem. Involving the Ferguson incident, the video actually shows the global nature of the excessive violence by the law enforcement bodies, who are often the offenders themselves.
On the video, Sam Spiegel of N.A.S.A. states:
“After seeing all of this craziness going down with police brutality over the last year, i felt like i had to do a song about it. I know it’s a complex problem. Policemen have one of the hardest jobs in the world, but there is a real endemic issue here around abuse of power and lack of consequence for wrongdoing. One positive thing that’s come out of all of this, and something that’s inspired me quite a bit, has been seeing young people rise up and let their voices be heard. As a child of a generation that was largely apathetic, it’s been beautiful seeing people feeling empowered, speaking out, and trying to bring about change. As a culture of young people around the globe, i feel like we are more mobilized and politically empowered than i ever remember.”
Some of the final scenes include the events from Maidan in Kiev, Ukraine, in 2013-2014 when amuck special forces remorselessly attacked the peaceful demonstration against the former president of the country.
Don’t get too emotional watching the video below, and remember: the footage is not for the sensitive.
Leave a Comment