Take A Knee

Album: For The People (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Why not take a stand and take a knee?"

    San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick made news in 2016 when he protested police treatment of minorities by taking a knee during the national anthem. Some saw the gesture as disrespectful, but he was soon joined by other athletes throughout the country who staged similar protests. In this song, the rapper/producer SiNiCaL voices his support for Kaepernick and others who use their celebrity to focus attention of the issue.
  • SiNiCaL included this track on his mixtape For The People . He told Songfacts how the song came together:

    "'Take A Knee' was inspired by the stand that Colin Kaepernick is taking both on and off the field. With Colin's donations, outreaches, and now his 'I Know My Rights Camp' for the youth I think he's really taking it to the next level!

    The song actually came about after a conversation my manager Don and I had about the initial uproar of Colin's national anthem protest. Once we hung up, I immediately had an idea for the hook. After that, I hopped on Ableton and started with some brass to work on the beat. I knew it needed to have militant marching band elements mixed with the 'Conscious Trap' feel. Next, I moved on to Pro Tools to sequence the beat, lay the hook and work on the verses. The rest is history!"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Kiss

KissFact or Fiction

Kiss is the subject of many outlandish rumors - some of which happen to be true. See if you can spot the fakes.

Protest Songs

Protest SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know your protest songs (including the one that went to #1)?

Graham Parker

Graham ParkerSongwriter Interviews

When Judd Apatow needed under-appreciated rockers for his Knocked Up sequel, he immediately thought of Parker, who just happened to be getting his band The Rumour back together.

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin Popoff

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin PopoffSong Writing

A talk with Martin Popoff about his latest book on Rush and how he assessed the thousands of albums he reviewed.

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)Songwriter Interviews

Before "Rap" was a form of music, it was something guys did to pick up girls in nightclubs. Donnie talks about "The Rapper" and reveals the identity of Leah.

Desmond Child

Desmond ChildSongwriter Interviews

One of the most successful songwriters in the business, Desmond co-wrote "Livin' La Vida Loca," "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" and "Livin' On A Prayer."