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In 1972, Donny Hathaway released a song about the hardships of street life. In September of 2015, more than 40 years after the premiere of the original version, his daughter, Lalah Hathaway, payed homage to her father by covering the track. Now, she has teamed up with Snoop Dogg for “Ghetto Boy,” a remixed version of the cover.
The song, produced with the help of Robert Glasper, features socially conscious lyrics from the longtime rapper, with Hathaway singing her father’s original lyrics on the chorus.
“Another Black brother dead/ Feet to the pedal/ Life don’t matter when you born in the ghetto,” Snoop raps. “And then they wonder why we marching/ Like in the ’60s with Malcolm and Martin.”
The visuals show Hathaway and Snoop cruising down the streets of L.A. observing the everyday life of residents. Comedian Affion Crockett and jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington make cameos in the video.
“What is amazing is ‘Little Ghetto Boy’ is as poignant now as the day it was written,” Hathaway said of the original song, according to Vibe. “The truth of the song rings the same today as it did 40 years ago. The fact I can deliver this truth with the same conviction my father felt all those years ago is extraordinary.”
“Little Ghetto Boy” is available on Hathaway’s newest album, Lalah Hathaway Live, and can be purchased on iTunes.
Are you feeling “Ghetto Boy”?
