Zumbi (of Zion I) & The Are: "Cops Hate Kidz"

Zumbi of Zion I and The Are of The Trackmasters have teamed up to form The Burnerz. I don't know how permanent this arrangement is, but they have gone in hard on their debut. "Cops Hate Kidz" is addressing the recent cop killings in Oakland, and while it would never be misconstrued as pro-police, its more accusatory of the overall system that creates such contentious relationships and combustible situations. Zumbi writes on his blog:

To the youth, I implore you to seek greater understanding in these difficult times. “Fuck the Police” is an easy reaction to what’s going on. I feel that way sometimes too. But, every police officer is not bad, just like every person from the hood is not good. People are people, some are just messed up in the head. The system is what needs to be held accountable. Do not allow yourselves to be manipulated into becoming another statistic about murder rates in Oakland. If you’re going to fight, lets fight with our minds as a collective to change this rotting system. With love and respect…R.I.P. Oscar Grant and the countless other lives lost to senseless killings.

This commentary aside, Zumbi speaks on a very real give-and-take dynamic between youth and police on "Cops Hate Kidz." If cops kill kids, then kids will kill cops right back. I'm not saying that Lovelle Mixon was channeling the memory of Oscar Grant or that he was justified in his actions, but we shouldn't be so surprised that this happened. OPD has been a volatile force in Oakland for years, and with young people of color being a regular target for them, it is fairly logical that at some point this situation would reach a retaliatory breaking point.

That point has come, and it's on us to address it before we sink into civil war, martial-like law or plain hopelessness. This is our city and I will no longer tolerate this genocide no matter who is killed. I feel bad for the officers who died, but worse for all the other faceless names that have passed through the Tribune's headlines over the years with zero fanfare. This one is for yall.

DL: "Cops Hate Kidz"- The Burnerz

Kudos to BayIsBack via Strivin