Having turned 10 last year, Bad Rabbits are not only admired by music fans in New England and beyond, but they are also looked up to by innumerable artists. Their accomplishments, music, and track record considered, it’s no surprise that Fredua Boakye, Salim Akram, and Sheel Davé are leading in this moment, in part by dropping a video and merchandise for the track “WWYD” from their album American Nightmare, with all proceeds going to the NAACP. The band said in a statement: 

Coming to you live from the United States, welcome back to our recurring American Nightmare.

This ain’t a newsflash; this is a wake-up call, and it will not be brought to you via network news, nor will it be sponsored by a damn soft drink, cigarette or social media channel.

Our streets are burning, our people have coalesced and now the fight comes straight to your eardrums.

Initially dropped in 2016, Bad Rabbits’ second full release ‘American Nightmare’ found the band, along with the rest of the country, at a crossroads with engines idling high. Founding members and childhood friends Fredua Boakye, Salim Akram and Sheel Davé – each in tune with Bad Brains as much as Bel Biv Devoe – bravely peeled out with a more aggressive, organic sound and brutally honest lyrics that both polarized and exhilarated fans old and new.

Right album at the wrong time? Nah. ‘American Nightmare’ was the siren warning of the oncoming storm.

Fast forward to 2020 and what has changed over the course of four years? Shit, what has changed over the course of 400-plus years? It took a pandemic, killer police and a filler president just to get the masses listening. Now that we have your ears, please allow us to reintroduce ourselves.

Welcome back to our Nightmare.

You can purchase your shirt at the Bad Rabbits online store. “WWYD” lyrics below. 

When innocence holds a toy and guilt carries the gun

When a father can go home to his kids and a mother loses her son

When cops aim to treat life like hunting game

What would you do? Huh?!

When the world revolves around em but stops with your shade?

When triggers are pulled before questions are asked?

when triggers are pulled i ask

WWYD HUH?

WWYD HUH?

When the news spews the same rhetoric material

When the youth are spoon feed lies like they eating cereal

When surreal turns to realist ish you’ve ever witnessed

When the candle vigils look like they are normal business

When the reverend pimpin’

Y’all can’t even tell the difference

When you really listen to

To them old white politicians

When they really miss the concept of a real religion

And they never blame the mindset

They just point the finger

When you got the mouth to combat

But you have no millions

When you need to find the conscious

And yet keep it triller

When the courts obey the monster

they reward the killer

When the courts neglect the Mamas

N they reward the killer

When the court neglect the concept

They reward them

WWYD

Tell em dine on their own bullets tonight

Tell em dine on their own bullets tonight

Tell em dine on their conflict

Tell em dine on their bullshit

They gon dine on their bullets tonight

Yo this for the fallen

Sing for them

NO JUSTICE NO PEACE

Yo sing it for the fallen

Yea this is for the fallen

Ima sing for them