Legendary Sacramento rapper and prison reform activist X-Raided once again teams up with Tech N9ne on a knockout new single and music video entitled “Damnation”. It impressively marks their 10th collaboration since 2021.
On the track, sparks fly as glitchy synths scrape across a thick head-nodding beat punctuated by church bells. Getting pensive and introspective, X-Raided’s words cut deeper than ever as he wonders, “Was it worth it? Thug living, where did it get ya? Your momma gotta show your kids your pictures to make sure they don’t forget ya.”
Tech counters with incisive and existential bars of his own, going to proclaim, “So the question I’m asking is life or death.”
The accompanying visual unfolds like a classic urban drama, paying homage to the likes of “Menace II Society” and “Tales From The Hood”. In the opening scene, we see X-Raided’s death. He attends his own funeral, but he reaches a crossroads. Assuming the role of the “Angel of Death,” Tech (clad in all-white) raps over the open grave and offers another way…
About “Damnation,” X-Raided commented: “This is a statement about the genocidal implications of gang banging. I saw an interview where Nipsey Hussle talked about gang bangers essentially hunting themselves when they go on ‘missions,’ and this song is a direct reflection of that sentiment.”
Adding, “Tech’s character presents me with the proverbial fork in the road, where a decision has to be made whether to choose Life or Death. I want people in the streets to know that the only real choice is to live. We have to stop killing ourselves. That’s really all there is to it.”
