T.I. Pens The New National Anthem (Audio)

Accentuated by Skylar Grey’s quintessentially anthemic vocals on the hook, T.I. delivers his message to America in the form of the track, “New National Anthem.”

“Home of the brave and free (It’s America)
Free just to murder me (land of the handgun)
Land of the beautiful (home of the shotgun)
Cursed by the hate we throw (You’re dead if you ain’t got one)
Is this the new national anthem (It was like this before I got here baby, I ain’t do it)”

In a similar light as B.O.B.’s powerfully introspective insight into black culture with “New Black” and Killer Mike’s recent op-ed on Billboard, T.I. continues to burgeon the national conversation about the stranglehold of systematic racism and violence in the U.S. in the wake of Michael Brown’s death and the events in Ferguson, Missouri.

The irony of the chorus’ catchy, Pop sound is not lost here and is undoubtedly purposeful as it’s assuredly radio unfriendly message will still reverberate in the ears of the masses. T.I. compares his own life experiences to the conditions of the past, including the deaths of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the present to deliver a well rounded message revealing the disparity between how America is perceived by the public and how it truthfully is.

Related: T.I. Gives a Taste of Brazil That is Far From Mediocre in His Latest Visual (Video)