Rapper Mellow’s Epiphany of Love and Hope

by Ernie McCray

One day
Rapper Mellow,
known for his
smooth flow
was kicking it in his studio,
free stylin’,
spittin’ lyrics
‘bout
nigga this
and nigga that
and bitches and hos
and who
had more
riches and fame,

more game,

on Hip-Hop’s

MC totem pole,

his usual groove,

don’t you know,

what he uses

to get the world

off its seat

and on its feet,

noddin’ and dippin’

and moving

to funky hypnotic

rap beats,

that truly were amazing.

But as Mellow

played with

soul stirring

cadences

and tongue twisting phrasing

that day,

he didn’t know

that an awakening was

heading his way,

something Twilight Zone-like

in a way,

sounds of protests

rising from the

street below

his window,

chants of:

“I can’t breathe,”

“Defund the police”

and rapidly

there surfaced

a lingering memory of

a brotha

taking his last breath

under the weight of

“The Man’s” knee,

a so-called

keeper of the peace,

and he saw

in his mind’s eye

the rise

of White supremacy,

malicious terrifying

yahoos creating crimes

against humanity

trying to get society

to take giant steps backwards

to how things used to be,

panicking,

frightened to death

of becoming the minority

and, suddenly,

Mellow felt

the burdens

of the troubles

of the world

and his emotions

began to

swirl and rush
and stir
like crashing waves at high tide,

like
G-forces
on a
roller coaster ride,

and by the time

the day’s sunlight

gave way to

the darkness

in the night,

things had quieted

and an idea came to Mellow,

softly

like a feather

riding a gentle

ocean breeze,

teasing him,

coaxing him

to maybe try something new

musically,

and he thought of how

he could

put a spin

on the state

Planet Earth is in

and sat down

and commenced to pen

songs with themes of love.

For children,

the innocent,

the recipients

of what the past has sent,

solid evidence

that not much time

has been spent

on making right

our discontents,

and he imagined

the young ones,

as he hummed

and sang his lines,

listening with open eyes

and questioning minds,

letting his lyrics

sink in

their consciences

like water soaking in

sand that’s already

dampened,

lyrics intended

to get them to view their curiosities

and intuitions

as rich natural resources
to be mined
for answers
to all the dreams

of peace
and harmony
that have been
deferred or denied
to humankind

throughout time,

lyrics created to

set a spark

in them

that might

help them

lift humanity out of the dark

into the bright

promising light

of a promising new age,

a departure

from our hateful ways,

our legacies of

us versus them

in a caste system

that divides us

by the colors of our skin

and our ethnicities

and nationalities

and sexualities,

and along our

beliefs and creeds…

If not them, who indeed?

Seems Mellow had
what’s called an epiphany,
a wonderful
illuminating reality
compelling him
to plant the seed
that our children need
to bring to the world
the hope and love
it needs.

And it came
to his mind
at just the right time.
In the nick of time.