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Alex “Grizz” LoucasAs Black history month comes to an end, Atlanta rapper J.I.D offers an educational moment with the new video for his song, “Skegee.”
The Christo-produced track speaks to the past and present, while referencing the syphilis experiments that took place in Tuskegee, Alabama in the 1930s. The song also features words from the former mayor of Tuskegee, Ronald D. Williams amid the current healthcare inequities that face Black communities.
“Reminded of the place where they did them…experiments/On them Black people, sharecroppers down in Alabama” J.I.D raps. “It’s not far from Atlanta/It was 1930, they did them Black folks dirty because of a tan.”
The accompanying black and white visual finds J.I.D traveling to Tuskegee, where he meets with Williams’ family and local residents.
In an Instagram post, J.I.D. explained “Skegee” was his way of sharing the knowledge he was taught by his family.
“I remember my dad always preaching Black history to me, anytime anyplace anywhere we went he made me question everything,” he wrote in the caption. “This song is a lesson I learned a long time ago and felt necessary to use my platform to spread the knowledge of the history of our people in this country, it is not a slight at anyone, it’s a moment of reflection.”
“Skegee” follows J.I.D.’s Judas & The Black Messiah anthem, “Somethin’ Ain’t Right” with Masego and Rapsody. While J.I.D works on his next album to follow up 2018′s DiCaprio 2, the 30-year-old has also been busy with his collective, Spillage Village, who released their Spilligion project last year.
(Video contains uncensored profanity.)
By Rachel George
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Alabama experiments Historical homage J.I.D Skegee Tuskegee video
