Gun violence is one of the major problems in many big cities in the world. Poet, singer and song-writer Mustafa uses his voice to sensitize his community and many more on the dangerous consequences of gang violence. ‘Stay Alive‘, his debut song, is a soulful and emotional appeal to those, whose lives are endangered by violent structures and who find themselves trapped in an apparently vicious cycle. Accompanied by a dreamy guitar melody, Mustafa, whose parents hail from Sudan, pleas to those ‘still alive’:
“These colors and flags, the sweat on your back
You’re doing what you can
Pride in your hand, a price on your head, you can never let them win
Just put down that bottle, tell me your sorrows
I care about you fam
I care about you fam, oh-woah
All of these tribes, and all of these street signs
None of them will be yours or mine
But I’ll be your empire
Just stay alive, stay alive, stay alive“
Mustafa dedicated the track to those he has lost due to gun violence and to his community: “It takes a few lifetimes, Rest In Peace to the friends I’ve lost, long life to the ones still living, nothing in vain, Regent Park forever” (Twitter)
The James Blake/ Frank Dukes/ Simon Hessman produced track shines through its painful authenticity that sadly resonates with the reality in many metropolitan cities. One of the viewers of the video, Abdul Boudiaf, left a comment on Youtube, describing what impact the track had on him: “I lost my older brother to a shooting in London when I was 14 years old, his name was AbdulKarim Boudiaf, he was 18 at the time. I’m now 25. This song brought me to tears“.
jusi I love 