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Skyzoo (feat. Hypnotic Brass Ensemble), 'Bed-Stuy is Burning'

XPN | By John Morrison
Published December 15, 2021 at 7:00 AM MST

As we near the year's end, #NowPlaying recommends songs that slipped through the cracks, but remain in our headphones.

On "Bed-Stuy Is Burning," veteran rapper Skyzoo laments how gentrification has torn apart the community that he once knew. Over a gorgeous, jazz-infused beat, Skyzoo runs down a vivid and loving detailing of life in the Brooklyn neighborhood that birthed him. With its soaring brass section and a slick vocal sample taken from Da Bush Babees' "Remember We," the chorus is heartbreaking as Skyzoo pleads to cities and communities throughout the nation: "Please, Philly, don't let this happen to you / Please, Atlanta, don't let this happen to you / Please, DMV, don't let this happen to you..."

Copyright 2021 XPN
Music
John Morrison
John Morrison is a writer, DJ, and sample-flipper from Philadelphia. As a writer, his work has appeared in NPR Music, Bandcamp Daily, Jazz Tokyo, Grammy.com, and more. He is also the host of Culture Cypher Radio, a hip-hop radio show on NPR member station WXPN.

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