Peace.
Black folks have been catching hell since we’ve been in this country, and we keep catching hell today. There’s a perpetual pressure and need for black folks to find a way to balance our mental anguish and rage—born of micro-aggressions, aggressions, and disrespect—with positivity in order to function. Thank God (love) black folks have mastered this skill. Otherwise, we’d be consumed by hate.
There’s a dope track “Think Happy Thoughts” by Denmark Vesey (video below) that is one of the best acts of black love in Hip Hop history. It’s insanely relevant and timely too. The collective black psyche is traumatized, from the poorest among us raising babies in public housing to our most accomplished whose kids attend Montessori schools, we keep seeing people that look just like us shot dead by civil servants sworn to protect us. “Think Happy Thoughts” is a guided meditation to help heal and root out the infectious thoughts born from this state of affairs…and deafening silence from so many of our “friends.”
The lyrics, production, and video are A+, and are something all hu(e)mans need to see, hear, and feel. We can’t prevent all instances of racial and social injustice, but we can prevent it from defining our reality. Since all actions are first thoughts, a happy and productive future requires us to “Think Happy Thoughts.”
If you want to hear more music from artists like Denmark Vesey, be sure to check out the Vaytus app in the iOS App Store.
Music for the Rest of Us is an exploration of dope music made with artistic integrity— music that’s about something more than just the turn up. Written by Aniefre Essien.
