“Super Predator” (Nuri Anderson song) – Queen City Sounds and Art

NuriAnderson1_crop — Nuri Anderson, photo courtesy the artist

The phasing on a synth line paired with processed strings on Nuri Anderson’s new single “Super Predator” gives the perfect air of warped menace for a song that captures the tense atmosphere of the continued legacy of American racism from the rhetoric of political leaders and public policy down to the level of the street where law enforcement in many places in the country seem unable to reign in violence against African Americans, particularly young black men. It’s nothing new, anyone paying attention has seen that violence and oppression for decades. Hip-hop and punk artists have written songs on the subject for years too. Public Enemy, after all, named an album Fear of a Black Planet which included a song called “911 is a Joke.” Comedians have discussed these issues, but easily dismissed as humor. Anderson’s take on the subject is raw and also includes a nuanced yet very personal critique with his fast and adept wordplay using modern references and language. You can hear the combination of outrage and fear in the words but also a call for justice backed with one for survival because justice hasn’t exactly been forthcoming in a society claiming to be one of laws and decency. In the song Anderson speaks of having dreams but not being able to keep them it cuts deep because it goes beyond the obviously unacceptable police violence and hints at the broader realm of the way racism seems to limit the future you envision for yourself and if that police harassment is part of your everyday it has to be even that much more desperate. Listen to “Super Predator” on Spotify and follow Nuri Anderson at the links provided.