April 13, 2012

VIDEO: Ill Citizens - "Beautiful Day"

April 13, 2012/ Eugene Boulanger

Ill Citizens, out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, is a group born out of Capital NeechieZ, which began with three artists by the names of Jordan "Dominance" Henderson, Joel "Smiley" Garson and Nick "Chaotic" Thompson.

This tribute from Ill Citizens eloquently reflects on the value of a human life. The lyrics from Kid Dezmo, Dominance and Chaotic, lead by an intelligible and solemn harmonica hip-hop beat gives way to a deeper understanding of what it means to lose someone close.

The video itself leaves us to think of what privilege we have everyday in being alive. Images of rural communities, matched to lyrics speaking of reality, bring us to notice the intricacies of our relationships and how closely loss of loved ones affects us all.

However, as we see life as not a line but as a circle, we’re shown that death is a part of the cycle and is something to be equally as revered as the miracle of birth. Beautiful Day brings us back to the meaning of honouring someone’s life, as was so elegantly put forth with this video.

Watch: Ill Citizens - Beautiful Day

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Revolutions Per Minute is a global new music platform, record label, and boutique agency for Indigenous music culture. RPM’s mission is to build a visionary community of Indigenous artists and to introduce Indigenous music to new audiences across Turtle Island and around the world. Our main site, RPM.fm, has featured the work of more than 500 Indigenous artists and shared their music across our social networks of more than 275,000 followers.

RPM Records is the first of its kind: a label for contemporary, cross-genre Indigenous music, run by Indigenous people. Selected by The FADER as one of “5 New Canadian Record Labels The Entire World Should Know”, RPM Records artists include Ziibiwan , Leanne Betasamosake Simpson , Exquisite Ghost , and Mob Bounce .