Journalist 103 (of The Left) – United We Stand [mp3]
Ever since his rise to underground hip-hop prominence as a member of The Left, Journalist 103 has been regarded as one of Detroit’s most revered lyricists and one of hip-hops most promising MCs. His work on The Left’s 2010 critically acclaimed debut album Gas Mask received overwhelming praise from some of the most notable voices in the hip-hop community including DJ Premier, HipHopDX, and OkayPlayer. Following the success of Gas Mask, Journalist 103 looks to reach new musical heights as he prepares for the release of his solo debut Reporting Live, to be released on October 30th via Babygrande Records. After releasing “Danger,” the albums first single featuring Freeway, Journalist follows suit with yet another outstanding track, the album’s second single “United We Stand.”
Just in time for election season, “United We Stand” is a thought-provoking politically conscious song that addresses the controversial death of Iman Luqman Ameen Abdullah, a Muslim leader who hailed from the same Detroit community as Journalist. Iman was shot twenty times by FBI agents during a raid of a downtown Detroit warehouse in late 2009. Federal authorities present at the raid claimed that Abdullah was armed, refused to surrender his weapon and began to open fire. However when medical-examiner-office investigators arrived on the scene, they discovered the deceased laying face down with his hands cuffed behind his back.
Staying true to his name, Journalist uncovers the real story on “United We Stand” as he breaks down issues of injustice and inequality through unparalleled lyricism matched with a captivating flow. “United We Stand†is produced by Monkodelic, who provides a fitting horn-filled boom-bap beat that compliments the insightful tone of the song, resulting in one of Journalist’s most profound recordings to date.
Reporting Live hits stores worldwide on October 30th via Babygrande Records and will feature guest appearances from Freeway, Fashawn, and Saigon as well as production from Apollo Brown, Snowgoons, Oddisee and more.