By David Chu
Amid the recent death of Freddie Gray and the riots in Baltimore that followed it, Prince released a new song, “Baltimore,” as a response to the situation in that divided city, CNN reported Saturday. This melodic and soulful pop tune – a rare protest song from the Purple One – references Gray and Michael Brown, another unarmed young African-American male who was killed in Ferguson, Missouri:
Does anyone hear us pray? For Michael Brown or Freddie Gray Peace is more than the absence of war.
The song also calls for the removal of guns as well as justice via the militant chorus: “If there ain’t no justice, then there ain’t no peace.” The unifying track ends on a rather ominous note when a news voice-over announces a ‘developing situation in Los Angeles.’ The release of “Baltimore” comes as Prince is scheduled to perform at a Rally 4 Peace benefit show in that city on Mother’s Day.
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