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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 25 March 2019

Gary Clark Jr. is confronting racism with ‘This Land’

By RYAN PEARSON ism at my front door. And ness comes the light. So
Associated Press I’m like man, what time is it? with the rest of the album,
BURBANK, Calif. (AP) — What day is it? Where are there are brighter notes.
Gary Clark Jr. has created we?” he said. And the idea is hope and
a lot of conversation with “I think it was something love and just showing love
“This Land,” the provoca- I was just sitting on for a to people,” Clark said.
tive first song off his lat- while. I was taught to just The genre-hopping artist
est album that shares the be quiet and let things pass. says he crafted the rest of
same name. And I was just tired of it. It’s his album with a hip-hop
In the angry blues-rock like, I’m here, we are here. producer’s mindset, sam-
song, he recounts racial Strong, confident, we’re pling from a wide range of
epithets hurled his way and not going anywhere,” he musical styles, crafting lyrics
other racist taunts before added. “So you’re not go- about politics and his per-
he defiantly asserts that he ing to tell me that I’m not sonal life, then laying down
too is “America’s son.” In worth it. You’re not going his trademark guitar riffs.
the accompanying video, to tell anyone else that “In my mind, I’m trying to
young black children con- This Nov. 5, 2017 file photo shows Gary Clark Jr. performing at they’re not worth it. Be- be like Dr. Dre, Dilla, DJ
front racist imagery, includ- the Summit LA17 in Los Angeles. Clark confronts racism with his cause we all are.” Premier, RZA, the Wu-Tang
ing a noose, among other new album “This Land.” Clark Jr. now has two chil- Clan. I love that stuff. So
disturbing things. Associated Press dren with his wife Nicole that’s kind of what I do if
Clark says the song was Trump signs than Clinton. the 35-year-old musician. Trunfio, a white Australian I’m not playing guitar,” he
sparked after he sensed a Things in the news, there Clark Jr. says a neighbor model. So he laughs at Twit- said. “In the studio, there’s
change in his Austin, Texas started to be conversation met him outside the home ter trolls who have called so many options. ... It’s like
neighborhood during the about — something shifted. he’d recently purchased his latest song “reverse rac- man, let’s just have fun
2016 presidential election I don’t know all of it. I’m not and told him there was no ism” online. with it all. So that’s how I
campaign between Hillary going to try and explain all way he — a black man — “How? Do you see my approached it. I just didn’t
Clinton and eventual victor of it, but you could see it could be its owner. wife and my children? You care. I just want to make
Donald Trump, and then a in the news and what the “I had to deal with some- know what I mean? Look what I feel. You can call it
confrontation with a neigh- narrative was. Having two thing out in front of my at my band. We look like what you want but I call it
bor prompted him to write young ones, it kind of made house — I’m going to check the Village People. There’s music.”
it. “I would be driving home me concerned about what the mail and I’m with my kid somebody from every- Clark is currently on a tour
and I would see a lot more we were getting into,” said and I’m confronted by rac- where. (Sighs.) Out of dark- across the United States.q