Lil Baby’s New Song In Response To The Ills Of Police Brutality Raises Funds For Black Lives Matter, Others

Lil Baby dropped “The Bigger Picture” this past Friday, giving us the weekend to let his words sit in. According to his Instagram, the song’s proceeds are pledged to go four different ways, including Black Lives Matter.

The song starts with various audio clips of news reporters describing recent protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd and other egregious examples of police brutality. Baby fills the track, which goes for a little over four minutes, with three heavy verses. He talks about institutional racism, the fear carried when Black in America, corrupt cops and marching for freedom still.

The music video mixes his compelling words with equally compelling visuals: scenes from Minneapolis and other protests, protest signs with phrases like “Say Their Names,” shirts and face masks with “Black Lives Matter” proudly emblazoned and streets where police deployed tear gas and rubber bullets.

Both the audio and music video for “The Bigger Picture” are trending on YouTube, with nearly four million views each. Its proceeds are going four different places: Black Lives Matter, The Bail Project, The National Association of Black Journalists and Breonna Taylor’s attorney. Lil Baby’s support for these organizations will contribute to the move towards justice and freedom for Black life.

• Breonna Taylor was a Black woman who worked as an emergency room technician. She was killed in Louisville, Kentucky earlier this year in March when police offers broke into her home with a “no-knock” warrant, allowing them to enter unannounced and unidentified as law enforcement. Officers involved have been placed on administrative leave but have not been charged nor arrested. Work is still being done for justice.
• Black Lives Matter, the organization that was founded in 2013 to eradicate white supremacy, is helping lead the movement to defund police and invest in local communities.
• The Bail Project pays bail for people in need, including most recently a lot of protesters who have been arrested.
• The National Association of Black Journalists was founded in 1975 to advocate for and advance Black journalists. This includes providing services and programming to Black journalists, students and other media professionals.

In the chorus, Baby candidly reminds us that change won’t happen overnight. Still, he raps, “You know when the storm go away, then the sun shine. You gotta put your head in the game when it’s crunch time.”