Back with a bold statement, underground rap phenomenon and Sacramento native X-Raided sets his sights on the prison industrial complex with a provocative and powerful new single entitled “California State” with Locksmith out now via Strange Music.
The production wraps airy piano around an understated beat. While a steady bassline thumps like a heartbeat, X-Raided and Locksmith hold nothing back as they spit facts in the face of an intrinsically flawed system, “It’s impossible to grow when the soil wasn’t fertilized and every form of media encouraged you to murder guys.” It culminates with a climactic declaration in the tradition of incarceration anthems, “New Folsom Prison Blues, no Johnny Cash.” The prison industrial complex disproportionately affects minority families and hip-hop culture, so X-Raided has spoken up!
About the song, he said, “The population is difficult to empathize with so it’s a challenging industry to reform. Lady Justice may wear a blindfold but she peeks.”
It lands in the wake of X-Raided’s “It’s Up” featuring Ras Kass and KXNG Crooked. The track has begun to gain steam at DSPs in addition to earning acclaim. V13 raved, “‘It’s Up’ will surely be a contender for rap song of the year,” and Rock The Bells promised, “These three West Coast stalwarts deliver heat.” Global Grind also showcased it on “This Week’s New Music Roundup.”
“It’s Up” followed X-Raided’s “No Conversations” featuring Ellis Prescott. Stream “No Conversations” HERE. From the jump, “No Conversations” garnered looks from I’m Music Magazine and Global Grind. Prior, the fan favorite “The Sunken Place” racked up over 118K YouTube views on its music video. The song attracted plugs from Music Existence, Underground Hip Hop Blog, and Hip Hop Over Everything, among others.
Most recently, X-Raided shined on “Knock” from Tech N9ne’s BLISS alongside an a-list cohort, including Conway The Machine and Joyner Lucas. Last year, he made a long-awaited return with his Strange Music debut album, A Prayer In Hell. Taking flight, the single “Stratus Fear” [with Tech N9ne] has gathered over 2 million Spotify streams and 439K YouTube views on the cinematic music video. Meanwhile, he landed major looks from the likes of New York Post, Hunnypot, and TMZ, among others. The latter professed, “X-Raided wants his experiences to steer past, current and future inmates in a better direction.” Plus, V13 welcomed him as its cover star in an extensive story as well.
Following a first-degree murder charge as a juvenile, X-Raided spent 26 years, 5 months, and 26 days behind bars. The Board of Parole deemed him worthy of reentry into society in May 2018, and he has made the most of his time as a free man. Not only did he release music at a prolific pace and appear on Tech N9ne’s chart-busting album ASIN9NE, but he notably completed a series of reentry programs, including the Dream Center and Hope For Prisoners. His mission to decrease recidivism and increase restorative justice has garnered the attention and praise from various governors, senators, members of U.S. Congress, and law enforcement.
SOURCE: Official Bio
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