“If it bleeds, it leads.” For years, news outlets have been governed by that mentality, with the belief that violence and death generate higher ratings. That mantra seems more alive than ever in 2016, as headlines on every platform–from newspapers to social media–are dominated by news of the demise of our fellow human beings. The narrative is compounded in an election cycle where politicians seek to literally scare us to death, with the hopes that we will elect them to protect us. It’s enough to make us want to shout to the heavens, and that’s just what Yasiin Bey does on “HYMN.”

Yasiin Bey Uses His Mighty Voice In Support Of Indigenous Cultures (Audio)

Released with Ferrari Sheppard, as part of their collective Dec. 99th, “HYMN” seeks to combat fear with hope. Bey, who recently has experimented with less conventional vocals, often filtered, uses a soulful rolling bass line to deliver a throwback slow flow. Every word is easily heard, but his rhymes are layered and dense. Though he delivers sharp reminders like “How many views when the blood ooze? I’m confused,” likely a reference to the live streaming of the death of Philando Castille, he ends the song on a triumphant note. As the music winds down, he says “This is what death can’t kill: Life.”