Lauryn Hill Dedicates Living Room Recording of "Black Rage" to Ferguson
As tension simmers in Ferguson, Missouri, members of the music community have taken to their studios, their social media accounts—and in Lauryn Hill's case, their living rooms—to voice their frustrations, anger and hopes for resolution one beat at a time following the tragic death of Michael Brown.
Last night, Hill posted a previously unreleased home recording of "Black Rage" with the following dedication: "An old sketch of Black Rage, done in my living room. Strange, the course of things. Peace for MO."
This version of her 2012 single consists of little more than the haunting strains of an acoustic guitar and the voices of her children in the background. She used the tune from an unlikely classic as the base for its melody: "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music. (Yup, the "rain drops on roses/whiskers on kittens" song.) The result is a stirring, solemn listen that's just as inspiring as it is captivating, and her ability to play off the bones of the well-known musical standard's lyrics remains nothing short of genius, especially in this context.
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