John Forte Dawn Art Square
John Forte has returned once more with a progressive and lyrically dense track, this time taking aim at the members of the SAE fraternity who were recently caught on video in the middle of a vile, racist sing along. Forte's track, entitled simply "Dawn," is a short but scathing rebuttal to those frat brothers' heinous worldviews and is a reminder of how powerful (and how quickly) the music community can respond to worldly events.
Opening with the chant itself, Forte buildings himself a sparse sonic podium from which he expounds as a half-rapper, half-poet in a style that recalls much of the work of Saul Williams. However in truth, the performance is simply human, no more and no less, and Forte's words are deeply moving in their passionate cadence. The full lyrics to "Dawn" accompany Forte's upload, and being that they read just as well as they sound, we've included them below. Listen and read along as you wish, or close your eyes and try to imagine a better world--one in which an anti-racist response like this isn't ever necessary in the first place. All of the hats off and salutes to John Forte--stay tuned for more from the free thinking music-maker.
"Dawn" lyrics:
This is not designed for you to dance to
Despite my disdain for semantics
I warn you in advance this might veer somewhat on the pedantic
I don’t write poems I write ransoms
Kidnap thoughts and demand answers
I believe neither in luck nor handouts for personal advances
Man is a funny creature –
Damn it’s so funny that money’s the one thing that make ‘em go blind
When they wanna meet ya
You don’t think I know what I crept upon?
Haters ain’t dead – they pledge instead
I heard a house down south let it all hang out
Come one come come all from a large to a small amount
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Drop a bomb from the cheap seats
I don’t deep sleep and I don’t speak Greek
Not on my watch Not on my time and Not on this beat
If I don’t get air – watch me not mind
There’s a plan afoot
Get yours you know I got mine
You understand the chance I took
Do I look like I’m not ready?
Or do I look like I’m not ready
You’re too slow to move so
You’re ego’s so tall it’s top heavy
Keep my mouth shut and my notice up
My mind still and my lotus up
Who chose us?
We chose us
Who chose us?
I
