As the controversy surrounding Dave Chapelle’s Netflix standup “The Closer’ rages on, singer/songwriter Jalen Thomas aka Sonboy felt compelled to add his voice in the form of his latest single, “STONEWALL NIGGA.” Taking to Instagram Tuesday the young creative, who describes his sound as ‘soulful art-pop’ shared his motivation for the song.
Feeling the need clarify on a more personal level though, Sonboy goes much deeper; ensuring that his take not be dismissed as mere bandwagoning.
“STONEWALL NIGGA, taken from Dave Chappelle’s “The Closer,” was inspired in part by the Neftlix special, in part by my personal experience at the intersection of race and sexuality and in part by the conversations around sexuality, and what struggles matter more than others – particularly within the black community.”
“Whose pain/struggle means more? Whose first in line for justice? And ultimately, is it real if there’s a line? The anger in the piece is candid. The pain in it is reaching for the pain in the listener. Gay or straight.”
“This is not about canceling Dave Chappelle. This is about what his words may contribute to in the lives of young queer black boys and girls who look both like he, and I. This piece is about confronting anti-LGBTQ rhetoric within the black community. The hope is that, through it, a space can be made for justice to be seen as a table with room for everyone to come to at the same time. Not a retributive line we’ve constructed in our minds to make our pain feel more special than anyone else’s.”