August Greene (Common, Robert Glasper, Karriem Riggins): NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Well, first of all I wanted to be here in Tiny Deaths in PR, we are a group called August Green and August Green because you know, we are made up of Kareem Riggins, Robert Glasper and myself, but also our collective, their Bernis, as Abby said, and also some more. kinder tones and actions a fool is a collective of artists but the core is the group of the group is August Green and did you know that it started to take shape because we were working on

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together Corrine Riggins, Robert and I knew? between us for a long time and we, when we were working and we were able to get some dust in the White House when President Obama was in office, we were able to go have all these experiences and it just all came together. that we should just be a group and it feels really good to do this collective, it's just one of the most solemn inspiring things I've ever been a part of as an artist in my life and what we're dealing with right now is a performance.

We wanted to ask, you need us, could we do something called putting women in the foreground and what that means is that we are putting women in the foreground, we know that what is happening in our culture and in society is that Equality has never been the case in this country and in the world, so we thought it was significant and very important that as men we could show that August Green could show the collective that we know that women deserve their place in the forefront with the same position and many times leading and us. We are willing to allow that to happen so this experience will be a foreground for women as we are bringing three amazing women who are artists and they will join us and lead their songs and express their art in their soul and then a sister we want to do this in honor of who is Robert's cousin without glasses her name is Lauren Brock she just transitioned a few days ago so she is with us in spirit so these are the close up of the women who are leading this movement right now here little

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so uh I just want to thank God for being here and we want to get into this

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the way we do.

We're going to start with a song called Black Kennedy, so it's Black Kennedy. It's about black blacks with royalty. who we are royalty if I was a Kennedy I'd be a Kennedy black black car black tuxedo this is black symmetry shooting up my family from Tennessee I remember Dillo Verde we were in the deep riding through the city with the top down Now we don't have roofs to our thoughts. So beautiful, beautiful, let the sun grow. I walked through the jungle in a humble manner. I received compassion from my mother. The streets of my uncle. A corner.

The honor is moving, but without trauma. Know yourself. Not getting money. No. Karma or respect like an amulet that I received from my mother in the palm of my hand is like a land that I like and calm I love the black Dalai Lama feed the masses with you fish of a love the sum of all launching new pieces releases to free her from the pieces the thesis I used to get my little expensive exists is what my grandma used to get B says she loves sequins Diahann Carroll like some of these leaders are pharaohs like they let people go so they can look towards the east grow a time for everything everything is seasonal I dreamed enough everything is credible as feasible if I were not Kennedy I would be a Kennedy black black car black tops this is black symmetry lifting the shot from Tennessee I remember bream jela we were in the teeth riding through the city with the top down we don't have vendors to see trapped it's a beautiful ride riding through the city with the top down we don't have roofs for our

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macaroni so beautiful easy afternoons Shorty's pellets under the black of the moons in search of undeveloped yellow suns once they get guns hella Peter melon in the streets where we beat the heavy drums I wish I could put Jordans on all the blacks' feet Kennedy royalty with black identity freestyle leader I'm going to the penitentiary they're right with the rabbit fight through Trinity for centuries they will remember me for my similes but metaphor more than that no matter how rich I get, I will return it to the jurisdiction of justice, non-fiction, even a tough hustler for the dust we begin and we must and observe a passing mark people had our first Black Press or is it the sequel if I was Kennedy's idea black Kennedy black car black tuxedo this is the black cemetery shooting up my family from Tennessee Me Remember me brain Dilla we were toast in the city over time we don't have silence in our thoughts below it's a beautiful ride riding through the city with the top down we don't have chairs for us now it's a beautiful ride beautiful beautiful hey Bobby it's me I'm cool like I'm standing well well we're alright good cool cool you can't help but be rockin' with the joint look like and they say we got a rock right away so uh then old me was black man Kennedy practiced so actually Rob Rob said man I got these I thought in these chords that we should use for August Green and he stopped playing these chords in the studio and, uh, it was the best.

He ever heard that I was like a sigh on the side, but once you know, once we put burners and cream and on my raps and a little more, it turns out that the song turned out there, it's okay anyway, so yeah, practice, you know what song life requires working on. We have to work on ourselves and work on whatever art we work on in relationships, so we were just talking about life and practicing, you know, life, we practice in life in a way, and we also want to present in this song a of the Queens, we are talking about the system, my Munna Yusef, we call it amumu, fresh, my life, my view in the fast lane, it's a rat race, give me time, give me time, changing paths, takes a little practice , take some practice, be proud, my dad said it was raining, mom. said it was snowing open sky she is making born in Chicago in life without knowing how to laugh learning and growing the wind keeps blowing streets harvesting and sowing rolling with my stolen moments live and I understand you that is the movement the shot brings pain identical intervals towards up A driving school ever goes, but the spirit works miracles when I interview myself waiting for the answer from my soldier, no matter where I go, the answer is why there goes the victory together and under a divided adrenaline and I am a sin again forgiveness is a nebula to win win again the world needs it er like the Dominican Republic the subject is above the mind life is a practice traveling at the same time may require some practice some practice take pride looking at my life my places in the fast lane it's a rat race give time, give me time to change it back, wait, it takes a little practice, it takes a little practice, I take pride in riding the sing-song songs King's dream long, simple axes when the scene is formed I am probably improving it for the big news through them false bricks silly of NIM the symbols of the walls and places are symbols to continue it was written that God does not use pencils dimension that dimension and adventures of a man attention or intervention divine and the remains of the player from when I ran footprints in the sand the son of man gave me a tan that's what I am, the emphatic already called mathematical traveling capitals, the real strike, practice, I saw pain to make the day cry and practice , someone tells me every day, I pray, I stay the course, hoping my actions are my thoughts, take a little practice, take a little. pride, practice my life a little, my places in the fast, it's a rat race, give me time, give me a turn, changing paths, be proud, be proud, be proud, listen to me while I love my brothers, I will give you all your profits, no Don't be mad at me because I'm spectacular.

I am a fly that leaves you speechless. It goes into the helicopter region like a teleprompter, but I never tell a cop I'm a boss. No, the repairmen necessarily have a very hard body like Chevy. coated in January, wait on your comment, you don't need any more promises since I told you to join, ready to make deals with women of my caliber if you can't control the boat owner than your manager walking around smelling like your name is on it . I left my body, my agitated search begins, carefully, how much do I owe you for what is already mine?

I heard the kind of offer every damn time, I only care about my money, big and wide, on time, the revolution appears on the front line, sometimes it's like a woman. Black and I twice received a scream of fire, it's better, true, but tell me to act good, look pretty, thin, don't talk out loud, don't think, don't feel, don't talk, but I'm at my lowest point , I hide 100. but sink I am woman to man so real men please stand up and defend you will guide me in saying goodbye to love with a real man please stand up and defend you will guide me in preparing a limpet, be proud.

I like mice. a rat, give me time, give me time to change, have some fries, take a friend, some bread, take a friend, this is great, you feel good, thank you all, you look wonderful. Cool MooMoo, make sure everyone checks out that they have a project called vintage babies. hire dumb DJ make sure everyone sees it ha I got a plug support the crew so uh the phone is like that so yeah August Green Man we were in the studio and Kareem and Rob and I were sitting around talking about when our favorite songs and it was the song called optimistic for the sounds of blackness and and man, all of us, individuals like Matt, I saw one of our favorite songs and it was like that song always hit my soul when I needed it. that I like to listen to it and encourage me or what I needed to encourage me I listened to it or when I just listened to it in general it made me feel good I didn't even recognize it as a gospel song or it was just a beautiful song for me and we decided like when we were talking and that's one of the freedoms where August Green is there too, you know he's like a man, let's do a remake and you know me as a hip-hop artist, you usually know that.

Don't do remakes but I'm green August so I could do whatever I want so whatever I want yeah I wrote your rooms yeah that's what everyone knows that's why on this song my rising sub pair because yeah, Rob said, man, we. I need to get brandy I said oh do you think you think you think we could get Brandi to sing that we call it Brandi and Brandi came in with that with that light she came in with that light we just met the soldiers took us to different places and we were grateful you know, Jimmy, gentleman, and whoever wrote the song gave us a good sign and we said, hey man, we really appreciate the way they did the song, so we're grateful that they can appreciate it, but we're extremely grateful to have brandy, one of our best vocalists of all time, to join us on this song, optimistic, so come on, brandy, let's do it, I'm very nervous, guys, well, as long as you keep your head to the sky, be optimistic, when I'm wrong, you can see Hey.

Yeah, you hear those boys telling you that you scare me now, it doesn't matter, just hold on to your dreams, as long as it's okay, as long as it's okay, no, you don't have to go on, I know. Oh, as long as it's okay, your head sings. you have to be optimistic living in the moment who is the opponent I have it I understand it when I wanted composition of the Golden Path the school of life roll the dice make it like an impossible mission for the future warrior of heaven we are the more we love our euphoria b12 kick the door 'cause we think the goal is us, yeah you can win and I'm a Robert Glasper with a key etched in my face full of dumb DJs on whichever you choose, keep it green Riggins on the drums to the sky Head to the sky, head to the sky, Head to the sky, head to the sky, let's stay behind the

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s.

I come from shooting. If you ask me who you have, ask me why do what I can't because I have to. stay cool, I'll stay big even on a small

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, you know how it is, so I have to impress when it comes to this, I crush, I kill, that destroys like stress, but I bought my veto, remember it's conscious. I get cold with the rat symbol, it's something like that. So cold, but this is February Black History Month and we need to do it 'cause this is legendary, we tell y'all how we do it, man, Bobby Eggs at that time, I can't knock your freestyle now, no you do it.

Get your head out of my man named Sam or Pintu Hughes, what can I do? A constant program. I blew out the wick. Hell, I've ever seen him and been friendly with the MC before. All small. I just said I wanted the Emmy through a business talking to existence. I can go. To distance this is just persistence, what can I do? I am with the resistance, I see the security of my man, God, with my heart and my fist in my heart. We only came to do our part and I am going to do our part.

Do we do it? all the foreground and the women whoThey have soul and we are going to tell the story, the stories like glory. I could do it for you and I can do it for me. I see my daughter. Her name is Amore. I hope they write the construction of the school. day of destruction we will continue building building for the children building for us and yours coming straight out of the sweat of the floors I told you head towards the sky the style of being free Rob she attends like me even though he wanted to be right look You know, I do the right thing like Spike Lee, I just don't see it going down, okay Timmy, I'm just going to relax for a second while I talk about the resurrection of Apple.

I'll go to another address and section while I'm free. I'm adjusting my teeth. I think if a comment is one of the best vocalists, they call their vocal Bible the best. Yeah, all of you, so I've been able to work and collaborate with some incredible women throughout my life and, um, the next one. The person I am raising has been someone who continues to grow me as I create. We've been able to work on this song called Stand Up for Something for the movie Marshall and the song is powerful, but come on. Go out and rock it with this sister here, it's even more powerful because it's like, man, she just takes it up a notch and just takes it notches and it's something real Divine about you know we can go out there, the song is written because we say it, you know it many times and we were thinking as a man, you know, because of the administration and what is happening.

In the world the world is ending, but the world in demand is like God brings out the best in us and we can defend ourselves and others, so what better can we do in the world? What is more important than standing up? for something you believe in, that's what the quarter song was about and we had to bring in a revolutionary to sing it, so we have Sister Andra here. Yes, first of all, thank you all for inviting me here. Secondly, I would like to say that. It was a great intro, but I usually like to under-promise and over-deliver, not just echo the comment that he said, you know, the song is designed to inspire hope, it's designed to take Thurgood Marshall's message and take it to a new generation, you know?

The burden is ours now, so you know, and it's not useless, it just brings out the best in us. I think in these scenarios, so yes, you can have all the money in your hands, all the possessions anyone can have, but it's all worth it, it's a treasure, the truth is it's just pressure, it doesn't matter what you have, but whatever you have in your you can have, you can have everything, what is it, what does it mean, it doesn't mean anything if you're Diana, something because you can't choose talking books, yeah, me? Will you do your best?

Thanks kiss. Look in the mirror. Raghav, who looks at you. Will you find the life you live? No longer what you take but what you give me. If you bet on love, there is no way. Yes, take a stand, stand up for what's right, it's always worth it, it's always worth fighting for, it doesn't mean anything if you don't stand up because you can't just talk. Yes, you don't defend something. Dig me up, get up, love, raise your hands. I am with you because I understand that I am not here to judge this to take a position the most important players the creator's plan let's all get up as the day began reach out and touch with the hand of the savior on the rock we stand as if it were homeland let that the ways of love we overcome the waves of man these days we dance between lovers hate we do not know the date so we stay awake Annie we take for the sake of our souls a new victory we offer the old faith a president that the trolls will hate he does not control our des

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because God is great when they come down we stay on high I defend peace, love and women's rights if you don't do it, then what are we going to do?

We have this song captured, it's called Let It Go and we did it for the first time. Us, the working title was called Nirvana. I don't know, we called it that because we know it never reminded us of Nirvana, the '90s group we love, but yeah, this song is about the struggle of. the fights and struggles that we all go through internally sometimes with things that come from the outside, but mostly the internal struggle and we get our brother back a little more of Pender Hughes, so let's let go, let's do it in these places to the ones I go I can't tell you about these things I've done I can't carry I need to let go I need to let go sitting in the shadows with me gradually fighting a fall from grace as Adam and Eve seek more in the Vatican and I, the temple, the body, pepper , I'm pious, so how did I make my mistakes, my hobby is stress and pressure, probably out here with a lot of anger inside me, I don't know who my friends are, strangers inside me, stranger things get hot, cropped .

Off my angel wings I thought I was going to fly when Obama became king Pain and disdain for the rings I wear It's just the price of life When things aren't fair Pay the dues and you still have some time when You got hurt and they still want something from you It runs through my mind tripping over time It's moving faster than me at random So much fall that I crashed into My father will try to be my last enemy How much will my soul be worth when you take advantage of me? I have been taking advantage of passion and myself, of the places I go.

I can't tell you what I've done. I can not stand it. I need to let it go. I need to let go in a state in a place. Any job. I receive the praise. I don't want to wait for the gates of heaven from infernal things. I need to let it go. I need to let go. The best. I'm sorry. The stress I can't let go. If the room looks for a miracle that echoes in my mind. I have the opportunity to stay. Rebel born in the ghetto. having my own inner Aleppo saved by blood. He should be a vessel, just another Jacob where God fought.

I deal with the temptations of the devil. Hey, trying to get the same kind of stress somehow, how many blessings do I need in the day before I start? Get on my Deen and see the fruits of my seed. It was written. Read. I can't get into Rocky's fight with my mind over these decisions. I think I'm supposed to go up when they come down. I forget the big picture. Taken as a solo photo in a crowded room, seeing myself as a dresser and my eyes blur, the gloom between me and the sun is reading a gun.

I shout freedom because I am free to finish when everything is right. I have to have Cold stress and I've been able to let go of God and let go of the places I go I can't tell you the things I've done I can't take you I need to let go I need to let go in the state finna place any job I give the praise, no I want to wait at the gates of heaven, it's something infernal, I need it, I need it, yes, this way.