Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Larry Mizell, Jr., host of Street Sounds on KEXP, in honor of Juneteenth, is "Floyd" by SPECSWIZARD, a 2020 self-released single. Hear Larry's Weekly Mix Juneteenth podcast here.
Michael Hall is a long-time fixture of Seattle's hip-hop scene, recording under the names Specs One and Specs Wizard. (Seattle's bi-weekly alt-paper The Stranger dubbed him "the Holy Ghost of Northwest Hiphop.") He began rapping and making beats while growing up in the High Point neighborhood of West Seattle in 1979, began releasing albums in the late '80s, and made waves with his crew The Elevators throughout the '90s.
Today's Song of the Day is a powerful reflection on the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. "And if you Black, you know that this is nothing new," he raps solemnly against a wistful piano loop. Hear his musical memorial below.
