Kala Debuts "Rise,” An Anti-Racist Club Anthem
The KUNQ collective member samples Black Panther co-founder Bobby Seale on his forthcoming EP’s powerful opener.
Kala
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Photo by Kala
New York via New Jersey producer Kala is the latest addition to SHYBOI and Rizzla's art and music collective KUNQ. Later this month, he'll release a new EP titled L.O.T.O (Liberation of the Oppressed), and today The FADER is premiering the record's powerful opener, "Rise." A bodyslam of a club track, it features an excerpt from a 1967 speech by Black Panther co-founder Bobby Seale. 50 years on, Seale's rousing, still-relevant words on racism in America ring out amid Kala's explosive blend of metallic percussion, deep drums, and haunting choral flourishes.
"This track means a lot to me," Kala told The FADER. "It is a hybrid made up of many influences of mine growing up in America. 'Rise' features elements of punk, metal, hip-hop, club, and radical politics, which I hold close to my heart. In all, I created this tune to use as a tool, for empowerment and elevation of ourselves through these character defining times."
L.O.T.O (Liberation of the Oppressed) is due out February 28. Preorder it here.