London Poet Kojey Radical Reflects On Status And Stigma On “Open Hand”

Fresh from supporting Mercury Prize-winning U.K. hip-hop trio Young Fathers on tour, spoken word poet Kojey Radical is back with a searing track dealing head-on with divisions of race and class. With shadowy production from London artist New Machine providing the backdrop to his heart-clenching drawl, on "Open Hand" Kojey speaks on the statuses and stigma that separate us, and how the only way toward change is open-handed acceptance—we no longer need to close our fist for the revolution.

“I’ve been getting this 'king' status attached to my name a lot recently," Kojey explained in a statement emailed to The FADER. "It’s something I've struggled to accept because I feel as if I’m on the ground with the people. Quite frankly, people are afraid. Speaking your mind instantly attaches a stigma to your intent; because of that, the initial point gets lost while you battle to be perceived in a certain way. I do not care how people perceive me, not even a little bit. I will always speak my truth when I feel it needs to be heard.

"We’re in a very delicate time where even the word 'black' is treated with a level of sensitivity because of how we’ve been conditioned to think. The revolution is not in the closed fist, it’s in the open hand, because an open hand represents acceptance. Something we all need to learn to embrace.”