CashusKing and Jeff Johnson II's single Cheshire Cat, is a warning to Black America.
The second single from the Malcolm X-Men Duo, Cheshire Cat is a metaphor for black America.
Political instability is a given, and even as Black History Month comes to an end, we need our yearly dose of American capitalist system. Cashus King and Jeff Johnson II’s new song, “Cheshire Cat” is just that. Based on the Alice and Wonderland character whose devilish smile often came before trouble, the song takes aim at our societal desire to smile at symbolic gestures that don’t change our material conditions.
“Slot machine dreams as a black man rolls dice,
I hope I never crap out on the black mound throwing strikes.
Wouldn’t let us unionize so a black man gon strike,
it’s dangerous out there so the black man go inside,
Wouldn’t let us unify so the black man gon fight, with each other before we share our light with each other,
Snitching on they kin like the black man police, it starts inside the womb like the black man pro-life.
Men grin like the Cheshire Cat, attenhut, they say yes sire back! Tell America the galaxy is black!
Jeff Johnson II, who reemerged on the scene last year with The Johnson Way, brings balance to the record, offering a scathing review of black culture and its obsession with moral victories over tangible ones. More direct in his approach, his words pair perfectly with Cashus’ abstract and advanced soliloquy.
“Articulate, don’t give a f**k about this status, the gatekeepers run hip-hop, stop the madness,
And the saddest thing is we give it away, call it appropriation when us blacks ain’t paid.
And we settle for the scraps and water down our content,
Obsessed with accolades and walking down red carpets
And the future’s looking dark because we got no strategies, to pull ourselves together man it’s one big tragedy.
Fragmented families, and we endorse this insanity, barely any substance, just vanity.”
The second installment from the duo known as Malcolm X-Men, the song is reminiscent of the same energy duo Black Star brought to their song, Thieves in the Night. Their emphasis on the bleak social conditions of now makes it a worthwhile addition to your catalogue.