Prince Estate Releases New ‘Baltimore’ Video In Honor Of George Floyd
On what would’ve been Prince’s 62nd birthday on Sunday (June 7th), the Prince estate release a new lyric video for “Baltimore.”
The timely song was first released in 2015 in response to the death of Baltimore’s Freddie Gray, who died in police custody in April of that same year, sparking widespread protests in the city. It was recorded on April 30rh at Paisley Park Studios, with Prince playing all the instruments. It appeared on Prince’s final album, Hit n Run Phase Two.
Watch the video below.
Gray, 25, died of a severe spinal cord injury while in custody, according to the New York Times. He was arrested in April of 2015 and charged with illegal possession of a switchblade. He rode in a police van after the arrest — secured by a seatbelt — and was found unresponsive after the ride. He died the next week. In 2017, the Justice Department announced that the six arresting police officers would face no federal charges in his death.
The Prince estate also released a handwritten note from the musician’s archives, reading: “Nothing more ugly in the whole wide world than intolerance [between] black, white, red, yellow, boy or girl. Intolerance.”
There have been numerous protests around the world in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police. All officers involved have been arrested and the City Council has decided to dismantle the city’s police department.
Prince dedicated his life to speaking out against injustice, advocating for black excellence, and spreading the message of "Love 4 One Another." In this note that he kept in his personal archives, he wrote a message that still resonates today. #Prince #Love4OneAnother pic.twitter.com/thTv9cukBV
— Prince (@prince) June 7, 2020
