Keith Phelps’ visionary insights and prescient lyricism are front and center on the track Harlins Renaissance — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Co-produced by his brother Brendan Phelps, the song was featured in the Oscar-winning film The Dope Years: The Untold Story of Latasha Harlins, which won an Acadamy Award in the Best Documentary category. It tells the story of 15-year-old Latasha Harlins, who was shot in the back of the head by a Korean liquor store clerk in Los Angeles after being wrongfully accused of stealing orange juice. Her passing not only sparked riots, but also brought to light the tensions between the Korean and Black communities in South Central L.A. in 1991.
“I was commissioned by August K. Burton, who is the film’s music supervisor and composer,” hip-hop R&B artist and producer Phelps recalls. “Prior to writing the song, I was completely unaware of Latasha Harlins’ existence or how much her death played a role in the inciting of the L.A. riots. I spent two weeks researching her brief life and death, and became so emotional over the subject matter that I felt it necessary to personalize the writing in the form of a letter. I really wanted the song to be sincere and somber, and to make something that would touch her close friends and family, as well as provoke others to either seek out the film or find out more about her story.
“The song was co-produced by my youngest brother, Brendan and we went for subversive artistic commitment; Latasha’s childhood best friend and cousin both heard the track and were really surprised I went to the lengths of sourcing her childhood nickname, even. Harlins Renaissance is the only song in the film, aside from the underscore, and I was so connected to the story that landing it in the film was enough for me. To see the film honoured by the academy, though, is just a confirmation of what creating for what you believe in can and will do for you.”
Listen to Harlins Renaissance above, hear more from Keith Phelps below, check him out on Bandcamp, and follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
