Photo by Alex Woolley
There are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Donald Trump's election and everything he's done in his first few days in office has left many in various stages, and some all at once. But on "Hometown Heroes," rapper Frank Leone takes a stab at redefining acceptance — not of Trump, but of himself and his roots. In the song he finally claims his hometown of Monticello and embraces his resilience to haters and controlling political forces alike. "When I pull up in Jimmy Fallon with this fucking town in my pocket and start talking/ You gone wish you wasn't fucking drowsy," he says in a strong tone. Throughout, he swaps verses with Chicago's Femdot that speak to anxiety over who will survive in America over a charged-up beat that samples '70s Ohio soul quartet The Four Mints.
"'Hometown Heroes' is a left-brain reaction to our country's new public face, from a white rural and black Islamic Chicago perspective," Leone told The FADER over email. "I've been ashamed of where I come from, so I tell fans and blogs I'm from 'the woods South of Chicago' instead of claiming Monticello. I want any kid growing up in a town like mine to feel like they can take a stand against the bullshit they're hearing."
Listen below.
