What a journey. I wrote this song in 2018/2019 when I was first educating myself about the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. I honestly hoped this song wouldn’t be relevant by the time I released it. I hoped that Sudanese people would find peace and stability. 7 years later I’m still hoping. As I’ve gone back and forth over artwork, mixing drums, and arranging vocals… people have starved, been mutilated, r*ped, gunned down. The RSF have terrorized civilians. The UAE has sponsored it. Gold has been stolen. Bodies have been stolen. Rights have been stolen. Life has been stolen. Peace has been compromised. A Bullet In The Sun. The destroyers of joy. [U.S.] Westerners have a hard time discussing Sudan because it’s harder for us to identify the villain. It’s what makes @tiguerly22 artwork so interesting. You have to pay close attention to understand who the villain truly is. What differences do you notice between the two subjects in the painting? Who are they each influenced by? What is their cause? To the privileged world “it looks like Black people fighting” in one of those “shit-hole countries.” A simple, but classic reductionist formula tailor-made for U.S. to look away and keep scrolling. But when you stop to pay attention, to educate yourself, you’ll see who’s complicit. That’s what these last 7 years have been for me, a slow revelation of the truth, a song that grew into a project, a seed that became knowledge, indifference that became empathy. Bullet In The Sun EP is about coming to terms with our privilege and complicity, reflected through our participation in capitalism. The choices we make in the marketplace that cause death, destruction, and human suffering in the global south. The government is the bullet. The indigenous peoples of the world are the sun. The caretakers of earth.
I appreciate everyone involved in making this EP a reality. I’ll be pressing vinyls and raising funds for those affected by the madness. Stay tuned. Much love
[BULLET IN THE SUN]
produced/mixed by @classroomcraig 🇺🇸
featuring @eliafree 🇬🇭
original artwork by @tiguerly22 🇭🇹
released by @millenniumjazzmusic 🇬🇧
mastered by @adrianontheknobs 🇺🇸
If u don’t care about oppressed peoples’ liberation keep scrolling this one ain’t for you.
I always hope these type of “political” songs aren’t relevant when I release em because I would like to imagine the world to become a better place where genocide, colonialism, apartheid, imperialism, racism, and oligarchs don’t exist. But unfortunately here we are…still. I know this type of directness makes a lotta folks uncomfortable, but I would be a sucka mf if I caved or lowered my voice because of it. I don’t have all the answers to solve these problems but the one tool I do have is my voice. So I make art that highlights the atrocities of the world in hopes that it makes one person gain more empathy, awareness, and courage to do what you can to help. Western media has been complicit in the ugliness of all the isms and I think it’s our job as artists to combat those bullshit narratives and not submit to the same ol programming. I hope you find time to embrace the music and really listen to the words being spoken.
The line that always sticks with me:
“Bullet in the sun you sterilize the joy
You carpet bomb the babies and never fill the void”
BULLET IN THE SUN [REMIX]
Produced by: @classroomcraig
Additional vocals by: @eliafree
Released by: @milleniumjazzmusic
Mastered by: @adrianontheknobs
Original Artwork by: Chance Garcia
Graphic Edit by: @thekpco
Before I wrote words to this instrumental I felt a tribal ancestral energy calling me to speak truth to power. The rhythm of the vibraphone reminded me of a pre-internet era where “breaking news” would interrupt our regularly scheduled tv programming. We learned about horrible atrocities happening on the other side of the globe from establishment newscasters staring at us through the glass tube. When I was a child it was often news about apartheid South Africa or The Gulf War or Rwandan Genocide etc. Within few minutes time we would be transported back to our distractions.
These days bad news travels fast, breaking through our black mirrors with images forever burned into our collective memories. Some of us deny it, some of us ignore it, some of us educate ourselves and inform others, some of us shout into our phones hoping our message reaches someone on the other end of the internet, some of us donate, some of us respond by making more responsible choices with our dollars in the capitalist marketplace. Day after day we see images of beheaded babies, dead journalists, forgotten lives underneath the rubble, imperialist soldiers making TikToks mocking those they’ve t*rtured, r*ped, m*rdered. Genocidal war crimes. We see politicians lie to our faces. We see so-called religious people indoctrinated with hatred. Some of us care deeply and others are indifferent. We see blood thirsty consumerism. We see the horrific results of the things we don’t see, the things we don’t care to understand. I recently upgraded from an iPhone 11 to an iPhone 17. I see the hypocrisy in me making an anti-imperialist song and needing my iPhone to tell you about it. In my mind I see the Congolese child that mined the raw materials needed to make this shiny new phone a reality. I got blood on my hands. We got blood on our hands.
This song isn’t a bop. It’s not a consumer product that helps you forget. I hope it challenges you to find empathy and take positive action. Wake up.
[BLOOD ON OUR HANDS]
Produced by @tiguerly22
Featuring @nijla1
Mix/Mstr @adrianontheknobs
Artwork by @loridorfman
Released by @millenniumjazzmusic
Curious to hear how the full song turned out? Head to our profile to watch the video and see how it all came together in the end🐦⬛
#bandofstrangers #youtubemusic #youtubecreators #musicseries #youtubechannel
In our quest to record an album from scratch with complete strangers, we wanted to start a song in the exact spot where the city of Los Angeles was born: Olvera Street. It was the center of the settlement that this city was built upon, and it’s been a central place for Mexican heritage for centuries.
So we set up a session with @mariachingonaworldwide and @cello_azul … right there on the sidewalk. They freestyled a song called “Mota-vation,” and we knew there was potential to make it into something really fun.
But we needed to add another element. Something to bring the song into a more collaborative space. Something to tie LA’s Mexican roots to its modern-day identity.
That brought us to a rap cypher in Leimert Park called BANANAS @bananasnetwork where we met @slimjeff .. who freestyled on top of “Mota-vation” and completed the track.
Check out the full episode on Youtube - link in our bio! #losangeles #mariachi #bandofstrangers #musicseries #youtubemusic
What happens when you combine mariachi and hip hop? We’re moving across distinct neighborhoods in Los Angeles to see what happens when two integral musical traditions collide.
Watch the full episode on YouTube (linked in our bio) to find out🐦⬛ #bandofstrangers #musicseries #youtubecreators #youtubemusic
First order of bizness follow @slimjeffandthehomies that’s the new band account. Secondly, The Homies are playin Dallas on Sunday for the first time (ticket link up top). We’re opening for my player patna AJ Snow. Also got a fire fuego muy caliente lineup of local Dallas artists on the bill. Don’t snooze.
We play JazzRap, get hip & expand your pallet mang. This trip we got @iamlyfestylemuzik on drums @domobike on bass & @gxmusic on keys. Tell your cool Texas cousins to come thru. Fk wit The Homies
🎙️ New Release: Bullet In The Sun
Following the release of 'Blood On Our Hands' and the 'Bullet In The Sun' Remix, we're present the full Bullet In The Sun EP, powerful collaboration between Slim Jeff, producer Classroom Craig, and Ghanaian artist ELi A Free.
This conscious rap piece shines a light on the humanitarian crises in Sudan, Congo, and Palestine/Gaza, blending sharp lyricism with soulful conviction.
🎧 https://lnk.dmsmusic.co/slimjeffclassroomcraigmillenniumjazzmusic_bulletinthesunep
🎥 Canvas visuals are live on Spotify.
✊🏽 #BulletInTheSun #SlimJeff #ELiAFree #ClassroomCraig #MillenniumJazzMusic #ConsciousRap #Sudan #Congo #Palestine #HipHopActivism #MusicWithPurpose
PayDay LA returns to the Sunset Strip for another night of live Hip Hop, Soul, & raw energy that defines the city. This edition features @slimjeffandthehomies@brycesavoy510@theegr8babyjaay@eldahrado_ and more!
This ain’t no showcase — this is PayDay LA Live on the Sunset Strip.
Hit my link in bio for tickets and table reservations! Or go to PayDayLA.co/shows
![What a journey. I wrote this song in 2018/2019 when I was first educating myself about the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. I honestly hoped this song wouldn’t be relevant by the time I released it. I hoped that Sudanese people would find peace and stability. 7 years later I’m still hoping. As I’ve gone back and forth over artwork, mixing drums, and arranging vocals… people have starved, been mutilated, r*ped, gunned down. The RSF have terrorized civilians. The UAE has sponsored it. Gold has been stolen. Bodies have been stolen. Rights have been stolen. Life has been stolen. Peace has been compromised. A Bullet In The Sun. The destroyers of joy. [U.S.] Westerners have a hard time discussing Sudan because it’s harder for us to identify the villain. It’s what makes @tiguerly22 artwork so interesting. You have to pay close attention to understand who the villain truly is. What differences do you notice between the two subjects in the painting? Who are they each influenced by? What is their cause? To the privileged world “it looks like Black people fighting” in one of those “shit-hole countries.” A simple, but classic reductionist formula tailor-made for U.S. to look away and keep scrolling. But when you stop to pay attention, to educate yourself, you’ll see who’s complicit. That’s what these last 7 years have been for me, a slow revelation of the truth, a song that grew into a project, a seed that became knowledge, indifference that became empathy. Bullet In The Sun EP is about coming to terms with our privilege and complicity, reflected through our participation in capitalism. The choices we make in the marketplace that cause death, destruction, and human suffering in the global south. The government is the bullet. The indigenous peoples of the world are the sun. The caretakers of earth.I appreciate everyone involved in making this EP a reality. I’ll be pressing vinyls and raising funds for those affected by the madness. Stay tuned. Much love[BULLET IN THE SUN]produced/mixed by @classroomcraig featuring @eliafree original artwork by @tiguerly22 released by @millenniumjazzmusic mastered by @adrianontheknobs](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6729624331165616627038_0_c0d76165a1ec359e5d9fb680938508b7.jpg?o=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&h=9fb90f2be038cc1227b6852157ff2995)
![If u don’t care about oppressed peoples’ liberation keep scrolling this one ain’t for you.I always hope these type of “political” songs aren’t relevant when I release em because I would like to imagine the world to become a better place where genocide, colonialism, apartheid, imperialism, racism, and oligarchs don’t exist. But unfortunately here we are…still. I know this type of directness makes a lotta folks uncomfortable, but I would be a sucka mf if I caved or lowered my voice because of it. I don’t have all the answers to solve these problems but the one tool I do have is my voice. So I make art that highlights the atrocities of the world in hopes that it makes one person gain more empathy, awareness, and courage to do what you can to help. Western media has been complicit in the ugliness of all the isms and I think it’s our job as artists to combat those bullshit narratives and not submit to the same ol programming. I hope you find time to embrace the music and really listen to the words being spoken.The line that always sticks with me:“Bullet in the sun you sterilize the joyYou carpet bomb the babies and never fill the void”BULLET IN THE SUN [REMIX]Produced by: @classroomcraigAdditional vocals by: @eliafreeReleased by: @milleniumjazzmusicMastered by: @adrianontheknobsOriginal Artwork by: Chance GarciaGraphic Edit by: @thekpco](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6729415953201063135727_0_72e6e4fc5c971abe1f04d668546fa995.jpg?o=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&h=5f030f6add0b3e2efd8d41775df58f99)
![Before I wrote words to this instrumental I felt a tribal ancestral energy calling me to speak truth to power. The rhythm of the vibraphone reminded me of a pre-internet era where “breaking news” would interrupt our regularly scheduled tv programming. We learned about horrible atrocities happening on the other side of the globe from establishment newscasters staring at us through the glass tube. When I was a child it was often news about apartheid South Africa or The Gulf War or Rwandan Genocide etc. Within few minutes time we would be transported back to our distractions.These days bad news travels fast, breaking through our black mirrors with images forever burned into our collective memories. Some of us deny it, some of us ignore it, some of us educate ourselves and inform others, some of us shout into our phones hoping our message reaches someone on the other end of the internet, some of us donate, some of us respond by making more responsible choices with our dollars in the capitalist marketplace. Day after day we see images of beheaded babies, dead journalists, forgotten lives underneath the rubble, imperialist soldiers making TikToks mocking those they’ve t*rtured, r*ped, m*rdered. Genocidal war crimes. We see politicians lie to our faces. We see so-called religious people indoctrinated with hatred. Some of us care deeply and others are indifferent. We see blood thirsty consumerism. We see the horrific results of the things we don’t see, the things we don’t care to understand. I recently upgraded from an iPhone 11 to an iPhone 17. I see the hypocrisy in me making an anti-imperialist song and needing my iPhone to tell you about it. In my mind I see the Congolese child that mined the raw materials needed to make this shiny new phone a reality. I got blood on my hands. We got blood on our hands.This song isn’t a bop. It’s not a consumer product that helps you forget. I hope it challenges you to find empathy and take positive action. Wake up.[BLOOD ON OUR HANDS]Produced by @tiguerly22Featuring @nijla1Mix/Mstr @adrianontheknobsArtwork by @loridorfmanReleased by @millenniumjazzmusic](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6720317038191616171265_0_9612e48ce98892c54dd9e3632c704995.jpg?o=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&h=55bdaf5fedca9e7420a6bc4c21b77ee2)
