When you ponder a popular theme for a music album, you might think about love or relationships. You don’t necessarily think about climate change and fracking.
However, multiple hip-hop stars — including rapper Common and R&B artist Ne-Yo — have come together to release an album entitled “HOME” — “Heal Our Mother Earth” — to raise awareness about global warming, as reports National Journal.
Tuesday, four of the 11 tracks on the album were released, one of which is called “Trouble in the Water” and is performed by Common. The full album will be released December 2 and will likely make the perfect gift for environmental protection enthusiasts.
“We’re in the studio, and we’re talking about how bad the water is and this drought in Southern California where you’ve got the reservoirs drying up,” producer Malik Yusef recalled of the day he and Common came up with “Trouble in the Water.” “We’re looking at pictures online and we’re saying, ‘We’re in trouble.’ When we talked about some of the obvious problems, he said, ‘This is real.’ It’s one of these situations where you have to ask what we can do.”
Yusef hopes to reach a broader audience with the music, not just individuals concerned about the planet.
“I’ve been blessed with the kind of ear to make great music, and I have the accolades to go with it,” he explained. “People will take this much more from me as a purveyor of the arts rather than just some guy out there with Occupy Wall Street.”
The album is part of a project by People’s Climate Music, which seeks to raise awareness about climate change through music. It features performances by Choklate, Elle Varner and Aaron Fresh, among others.
Listen to “Trouble in the Water” below:
