Words by Richard “Treats” Dryden
We’ve learned throughout history that every people’s revolution is driven by unity. Anthems such as Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up,” Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” and Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” are soundtracks to a nation of millions on the front lines of change. Today, M1 of Dead Prez and Italian producer Bonnot share the remix to “Open,” a metaphorical twist on rebel music. “It’s kind of like Common’s ‘I Used To Love H.E.R.’ for hip-hop but mine is for the revolution, using reggae and it couldn’t have come at a better time,” says M1. “The world is so filled with hate right now.”
M1’s clever twist on love and relationships on the “Open” remix is a continuation of the creative approach to “Mind Sex,” a Dead Prez classic. The animated lyric video by Francesco Bando pictures a warrior queen in a style familiar of Major Lazer’s early animated clips. Yes, she resembles Jamaican-born model, dread queen and wellness guru Nerissa Irving, with whom M1 has a daughter. “I decided to animate the revolution into a lover I have been in a long term relationship with,” says M1. “Our ups and downs over the years are the trials and tribulations for liberation.”
The remix and lyric video arrive a year after M1 and Bonnot dropped their album, Between Me and the World. The new version of “Open” features Assassin a.k.a. Agent Sasco and Brooklyn-based sinjay, Irie Child. Download the album on iTunes and grab the remix here.