Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice and Eric Garner. Their names have reached the notoriety of some pop stars, but sadly for all the wrong reasons. That’s the premise behind the fiery new single “Famous”, a potent submission to a conversation that sounds as loud today as ever in the history of the United States.

“Famous” is an exciting first recorded collaboration between myself and producer/musician Marcus Machado (also under the producer pseudonym M.Drix). Machado is one of the most exciting, rising guitarists on the scene who has worked with the likes of Robert Glasper, Pete Rock, and Jamie Lidell. It also features the talented spoken word artist Dasan Ahanu.

The concept is a new take on an issue that has existed for decades and has become a hot topic during the past several years as documentation of police brutality has become more accessible. Artists expected to reflect the times, have publicly lent their voices to the discussion through social media and protest songs. But as a person who doesn’t waste words, on public platforms I’ve kept relatively quiet on the subject until I could contribute something new and of value to the conversation.

What finally struck me was the laundry list of victims names — from adults with futures still ahead of them to kids who hadn’t even fully developed an identity — known by millions throughout the United States and internationally, not for what they’ve done with their lives, but for what was done to them.