Solomane and M1 deliver a piercing reminder that hip-hop has always given voice to the voiceless. Their new single, "Free My People," is a call to action for justice, solidarity, and tangible change. Merging incisive lyricism with raw beats, the French-Moroccan rapper and Dead Prez alum has teamed up with Sa-Roc, Nejma Nefertiti, and Yasmeen Quintana to put out a potent, purpose-driven anthem.
Shared through The Rose Production, "Free My People" was conceived in a hurry. With yet another aid blockade strangling Gaza and ceasefire talks stalled, Solomane decided it was time to do something positive with his frustrations. The track's raw boom-bap beat, thrown together in an hour after a coincidental encounter with M1 in Barcelona, encapsulates that feeling of the moment. This is hip-hop's most unprocessed, deliberate, and rawest.
M1, one half of the duo that made its name by blending revolutionary thought with razor-sharp delivery, heard the beat and came up with the hook that has become the track's foundation. Energy snowballed from there. Each artist featured on the lineup has a unique voice, rendering a story of solidarity and resistance.
"Free My People" is about more than just raising awareness. It's single for a fundraising campaign, and the video footage was shot and edited for free. All the money earned goes to Clean Shelter, a humanitarian nonprofit set up by a Palestinian and an Israeli in response to unsanitary conditions in Gaza. It's a rare and striking instance of music not just speaking the truth but playing a role in helping form it.
The signal from Khan Yunis to Kyiv is that war does not always separate governments; it can unite people for peace. This single demonstrates that conscious hip-hop is still relevant, provided it's loud, honest, and purposeful. "Free My People" is a proclamation. Solomane, M1, and their partners choose to speak out loudly, proudly, and unapologetically in an era when silence can seem complicit.