Just days before the 2020 presidential election, Dumpstaphunk has released a powerful new single and music video, titled “Justice 2020”. The New Orleans funk ensemble featured rapper Chali 2na and Trombone Shorty on the track, which arrives as the second single off their forthcoming album, Where Do We Go From Here.
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“Justice 2020” is a brand-new version of the band’s 2017 single, “Justice”, which saw release shortly after the 2016 presidential election. Much like the original version, “Justice 2020” begins with a news anchor talking about a police shooting in Baton Rouge, LA while the popularized Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” flashes across the screen. Throughout this version’s slightly longer runtime, the music video interweaves graphic clips of protests over the past four years with archival footage from the 20th century, such as the March on Washington and speeches from Malcom X and other monumental civil rights activists.
Musically speaking, “Justice 2020” combines a hard-hitting funk groove with deep lyricism and masterful vocals. The back-and-forth vocal work from Ivan Neville and Tony Hall, along with the excellent horn additions from Trombone Shorty, is reminiscent of The Temptations‘ psychedelic-era tracks, such as “Ball of Confusion”. Combined with the explosive and thought provoking verse from Chali 2na, “Justice 2020” speaks to the country’s turbulent times with regards to the long battle for social justice.
“We wrote Justice at a time when a lot of things were going on,” said Ivan Neville in a press release. “Myself, Nick [Daniels] and Tony [Hall] were kids during the Sixties and Seventies, so we saw a lot of shit growing up, and we see the same stuff still going on: the systemic racism, the racial profiling, all the social injustice. We’re at a crossroads right now in this country, and some shit’s got to change.”
Watch the newest Dumpstaphunk music video, “Justice 2020”, below and head to the band’s website for more information regarding the release of their forthcoming album, Where Do We Go From Here.
Dumpstaphunk ft. Chali 2na & Trombone Shorty – “Justice 2020”
[Video: Dumpstaphunk]