Deeply affected by this week’s tragic news of the killing of teenager Michael Brown by Ferguson Police officer Darren Wilson, Top Dawg Entertainment President Punch joined label collaborator J. Cole in reacting through music. Born in the post-riots Watts, Punch made a Steinski-like audio-essay remembering the 1965 Watts Riots. Set to Kool & The Gang’s “Summer Madness,” Prez Punch parallels the protests and backlash from this horrific event with the national discussion about race, law enforcement and the value of human life in 1965.

With the drop-off of “1965,” Punch also hit Heads off with “Prelude.” Themed as a reaction to the poor law enforcement of Black and Latino neighborhoods in the ’60s, as well as the threats of hate crimes, the song chronicles the origins of gangs like the Crips and Bloods.  It also serves as a call to action from the People.

TDE has masterfully nestled a place in Hip-Hop, releasing music that has street ties and is a product of gangland Los Angeles (and Chattanooga), but a different perspective and commentary on what’s really at play.

What do you think about Punch’s messages here?

Related: Punch & Jay Rock Reveal The State Of A Project Mentality (Audio)