Amid protest and outrage, what are quickly becoming non-isolated incidents of Police brutality continue to impact the Bay Area community. In January, Oscar Grant, unarmed, was shot to death by BART Police officer Johannes Mehserle, and just last month another unarmed victim, Ernesto Duenez, Jr. was fatally shot. Others, names including James Rivera and Rita Elias, have suffered a similar fate at the hands – and weapons – of Bay Police while utilizing the city’s public transportation.
As the unprovoked violence continues, so do the protests, and musicians, no strangers to speaking against injustice over the years, have started to lend their voices and visuals to the cause. REL, the instrumentalist and producer also known for his work as one-fourth of the Drums & Ammo collective, has joined those voices with “Public Transit,” the latest single and video from his forthcoming experimental instrumental album, On My Way.
“The song and video were made to express the feelings of confusion, hurt, and anger in our community as a result of three Police officer-involved shootings that have taken place on Bay Area public transit lines, ” explains REL, who self-directed the video shot the footage video using his iPhone while riding the BART. He later added civilian-captured clips of the recent murders, bringing the video a sense of power and urgency. “The hardest part,” explains REL, “was being able to get across all of these emotions without any words at all.”
Watch the video for “Public Transit” Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egfo7R1XtTE
Alternative Link: http://vimeo.com/27187219
Please contact Michelle or Dan if interested in talking with REL.
The Background:
What began as a Bay Area public access show devoted to his love for hip-hop (Distortion 2 Static) eventually parlayed its host Ariel “REL” Nunez headfirst into becoming one of San Francisco’s most prolific media personalities and promoters in the past decade. Between interviewing top celebrities on D2S, producing, shooting and editing his own video content, and putting together some of the livest parties on the scene, REL started creating music as a therapeutic release, something he did for him and only him. nfluenced by the sounds of Khayree, Warren G, and J Dilla, REL dropped his first instrumental project, Orchestration, in 2009, and followed up in 2011 with MVMNT, a full-length album featuring fellow San Franciscan, J-Billion. REL also joined forces with local producers Ammbush, Al Jieh & 6Fingers to form the group Drums & Ammo on the SWTBRDS label, sparking much anticipation of future releases from this diverse and equally-accomplished group of individuals. With more projects on the horizon, REL’s dedication to his many crafts will ensure another decade of successes to come, and this time, he’s doing it all his way.
Streams:
“Public Transit”:
“On My Way”: