Hip Hop artist Jevin Lamar’s cousin Tee Jay McNichols was killed in the Dayton, Ohio mass shooting on August 4 of this year. As a tribute to Tee Jay and those that tragically died alongside him, Jevin has created an extraordinary track, “Still Holding On”. The heartfelt lyrics explore the economic devastation of Dayton that served as a background to the shooting. They’re also about race, about family, and about hope.
The video was shot in the broken and hurting Dayton neighborhoods that Jevin grew up in, and features Jevin and Tee Jay’s family.
In memory of Tee Jay and all those who’ve lost their lives due to gun violence in Dayton, Jevin is asking that donations are made to Daybreak Dayton, a shelter for homeless teens, where Jevin himself sought refuge at the age of 14. That Dayton life is the inspiration for the title track of his new 6-track E.P., Street Orphan (Badpenny Records, LA).
Jevin says about Dayton Daybreak, “They gave me food and shelter — and they cared. They really cared.”
The video, directed by David Ambrose, premiered on The Young Turks’ Damage Report on November 1.
The song is part of a 6-song E.P entitled Street Orphan (Badpenny Records, LA), out today, based on Jevin’s life in Dayton. Street Orphan is available to stream and/or buy on all your favorite platforms.
“Still Holding On” was written by Jevin Lamar. It was produced by GKF Beats (YouTube and SoundCloud). And was engineered and mastered by TrueChord and was recorded at TrueChord Sound Systems in Downtown Los Angeles.
Jevin Lamar was an assistant producer on the film The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, shot partly in Dayton. He has relocated to Hollywood to work on the films of investigative reporter Greg Palast.
For more on Jevin and his music visit: JevinLamar.com
You can also follow Jevin on Twitter and Instagram.
Greg Palast (Rolling Stone, Guardian, BBC) is the author of The New York Times bestsellers, Billionaires & Ballot Bandits and the book and documentary,
The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.
His latest film is Vigilante: Georgia's Vote Suppression Hitman
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