A 12-year-old black boy whose song about his fears of police brutality went viral has been signed by a major record label.
Keedron Bryant’s released song I Just Wanna Live – written by his mother – a day after the death of George Floyd.
Warner Records has released the song to coincide with Juneteeth announcing 100% of the single’s profits will be donated to National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
We should be a part of making sure the world hears this on a larger capacity
Warner Records
Keedron’s acapella performance of the song struck a chord in many and garnered praise from the likes of Barack Obama, LeBron James, Janet Jackson and Lupita Nyong’o.
I Just Wanna Live includes lyrics: “I’m a young black man, doing all that I can to stand.
“Oh, but when I look around, and I see what’s being done to my kind.
“Every day I’m being hunted as prey. My people don’t want no trouble.”
The song caught the attention of the head of urban marketing at Warner Records who pushed to bring the boy on board the music company.
Amazing
Chris Atlas said: “I was like, ‘Wow this is an amazing song’. We should be a part of making sure the world hears this on a larger capacity but then also donate the proceeds of the song to the right cause.
“That’s actually giving back and using music as a healing mechanism, which I truly believe it is.”
Keedron said he was excited to work with Warner Records and record more songs himself, adding he believed there was “still hope in the world that we can change the world”.
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It would be better if he was picked up by a black owned label. Also our communities should decide where the proceeds are spent.