Throughout history there have been countless examples of art being a catalyst or fuel for the fire of change, in one way or another. Whether it be a film that changes the hearts and minds of a population, or a song being the soundtrack to a revolutionary moment in history. If there is art, there is a reason for its being.
This is where King P has come in, with the recent spate of political upheaval present around the world, he’s come through like so many others with a sound and statement that has something to say, without the necessity of a loudspeaker and a crowd to say it. There is credence to be found in the comforts that music can bring, or the messages a song can inspire.
Music For Comfort
King P has brought people together with the power of music as well as made statements from a political stance as well. For the comfort side of things, during the prescient and everlasting lockdown period of 2020, he decided to utilise the power of social media to promote a message of love and togetherness through his rendition of “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” where he called upon his listeners and community to band together and contribute video footage to be stitched together for the music video that was subsequently released.
While not political as such, it was here that he established himself as having a finger on the pulse of the public, in lieu of simply asking for them to support him, he was doing his bit to get everyone to support each other. This approach led him to his politically charged follow up, “Revolution Televised”.
Music For Revolution
There has always been a representation of revolution in music. We had the folksy stylings of Bob Dylan singing about imprisoned boxers, to the silky stylings of Tracy Chapman ‘Talkin bout a revolution’. There’s some songs that have simply made their way organically into the spectrum of political change and upheaval.
During the year of 2020, one most of us would love to forget – there was a movement around the world regarding police brutality and social injustice. This affected King P in such a way that he wrote and recorded his anthem “Revolution Televised”. He followed through on this with a trip to Atlanta, the site of a recent protest march and filmed a video clip to be attached to the anthem.
While his intention is not to create a full revolution, he instead sees the music as a catalyst for profound reinvention and consideration of major issues.
Whether it be for political reinvention, comfort or simply for the love of music, King P has established himself as a jack of many trades.
You can follow King P at:
Official Website: www.KingPent.com
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5C6voWFD8fkd4TzwXCM1VF
https://soundcloud.com/phillipsolomonstewart
