In his latest single and music video, Jason Chu speaks on a topic that I’m sure many of our artists are familiar with to some degree, contrasting their calling and passion with the expectations and hopes of their parents. JC takes a few minutes with “Dear Mom and Dad” (off of Much Love) to air out his heart and attempt to reassure his parents of his choices and thank them for their cautious but loving support. I just wish he didn’t choose to dub the entire song – the double vocal track is kind of distracting.
Written on an airplane, on the back of a Delta Airlines magazine. Thanks to my parents.
04:
Dear mom and dad
Dear mom and dad0:10
Mom & daddy I haven’t made it
but for the last 2 weeks they’ve been flying me all around
and I’ve been rappin on these stages
And the feeling is amazing
.I hope excitement is contagious
I’m writing this letter hopin you savor just how outrageous
my life has become
Look how they look at your son
Look at how when I pick up a mic
I’ll be speakin to them
Look how they write about
Sometimes get excited about
Sometimes I’ll get invited to a place I don’t know about
But they might have heard of your kid
In fact, they most probably did
On Youtube or bluetooth speakers or word of the mouth
So it’s been a couple of years since I’ve gotten out of the house
But I hope you know that the way you raised me pretty much turned out
//I won’t tell you to not worry, I know that you must
//Just know that things will be fine, that’s a promise you can trust
But the drive to go is the blood that pumps in my heart and my guts
So I sign my letters with love, but you gotta give me to God
//Everytime I lift up and the plane takes off
//Just trust this is the way that my brain wakes up
I’m tryna wake up a generation
caked up with hesitation
Make up won’t ever hide it, neither will the medication
Neither will a demonstration, I just have to live it out
and if my songs don’t move them maybe my life will be what they speak about
In the midst of the desperation, I’ve been aching for our nation
Prayin (prayin) hopin we find our way up out the basement
They’re racist, sayin’ we only do calculus and calculations
But I defy that – just like you raised me to do
//Until our people all are free I’m yellin freedom from the roof
Until our people all are free I’m yellin freedom from the roof
//Until our people all are free I’m yellin freedom from the roof!!!
Until our people all are seen as equal I will speak the truth
The truth
…Dear mom and dad
Dear mom and dad
x2
repeat til fade
a-Tunes 