From Emmett Till to Trayvon…We Have Been Here Before and We Still Can’t Breathe

From Emmett Till to Trayvon… We Have Been Here Before and We Still Can’t Breathe
(Interview with Chasen Hampton on His New Single “I Can’t Breathe”)
by Gloria Y.A. Ayee | @GloriaYAyee | special to NewBlackMan (in Exile)

“I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe…” These are the final words uttered by Eric Garner, a 43 year-old African American man, as he was being arrested and wrestled to the ground in a chokehold by a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer. Garner’s death is one in a long, troubling history of abuse of power, police brutality, and violence against Blacks in the United States.

“I Can’t Breathe,” a powerful Hip-Hop anthem by Chasen Hampton (featuring REKS, Dutch ReBelle, and Antagon1st), which was released in March 2015, addresses the pain of a society that can no longer breathe, literally and figuratively speaking, as countless lives continue to be lost through senseless violence and brutality. In an exclusive interview for NewBlackMan (In Exile), Hampton spoke about the process of writing “I Can’t Breathe.”

Hampton says that he wanted to express his frustrations with what he viewed as race baiting from media outlets in their coverage of stories about protests and rioting in response to police brutality and violence against Blacks. “I was fed-up and disgusted,” he says. Hampton realized that he could no longer remain silent, and he needed to take a public stand.

Hampton is an American actor and musician, who began his career as a Mouseketeer on The All-New Mickey Mouse Club, and later went on to become a member of the pop band, The Party. After a recent move to Boston, Hampton became heavily involved in the local Hip-Hop scene there. Hampton, who has always played it safe with his music, describes himself as someone who is not “one to rock the boat.” He generally stays away from making political statements, but has been deeply moved and disturbed by media misrepresentations, and a general absence of healthy dialogue on race issues in the country as a whole.  

Hampton views “I Can’t Breathe” as a way to stand up for the truth. The American Antagon1st produced track features backpacking rapper REKS and Haitian-born Dutch ReBelle. Each artist wrote and recorded their verses on the track separately, allowing them to provide social commentary from their own unique perspectives. REKS and Dutch ReBelle both display lyrical prowess on their individual verses and Hampton’s strong vocals are a standout on the track, serving as a haunting reminder of the lives that have been lost. “No more. Enough is enough, it’s time to make a change,” Hampton sings.

Hampton, who is of Cherokee and Sac-Fox Native American descent, understands the troubling history of race relations in the United States, and knows that he has a unique platform through which he can speak out about injustice. He argues that in order for our country to move forward, no one should turn a blind eye when there are people crying out that they cannot breathe and asking that society as a whole acknowledge that Black lives matter.
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Gloria Ayee is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science at Duke University. She is also a freelance entertainment journalist and has contributed to The Root and Billboard.com.