I will confess that I’d never heard of LaDonnis (formerly known as Donnis) until a few days ago. And, really, looking back on the Atlanta MC’s past work, I’m not sure I’ve missed out on all that much. Featured as part of XXL’s “2010 Freshman Class,” LaDonnis has spent much of his career chasing mass success with a swaggering, club-friendly sound and high-profile brand collaborations. The dude has released some bangers, for sure, but, generally speaking, his music hasn’t been my steeze.

His new single “Black Boy,” however, is another thing entirely.

Co-produced by ER and Khari “Needlz” Cain, the track is defiant and politically urgent. Noisy and striking, the song’s sonics are an unrelenting mix of rumbling bass and discordant synths that threaten to rip through your speaker. LaDonnis keeps his verses fiercely direct, leveling the track with an outpouring of pain, suffering, and love that speaks volumes about what it means to be young and Black in America (“Black boy living in joy / Black boy living in pain / Black boy shot / To be a Black boy is insane / To love a Black boy is insane”). The emotional intensity is palpable.

“This song was written as a mantra,” LaDonnis writes in the video’s YouTube description. “A mantra for times like these. A mantra of self love. I want to extend this mantra to all of my brothers and sisters. I am you and you are me. The atrocities I’ve seen across our nation and specifically in my backyard of Atlanta GA have sparked something deep in all of us.”

Weaving together news footage, movie clips, video games, sports, and other pop culture references, the video only amplifies the track’s unflinching response to racism and police brutality, while exposing America’s problematic relationship with Black culture. To call it merely powerful is an understatement; simply put, it’s one of the most compelling artistic statements I’ve witnessed since the murder of George Floyd forced a worldwide reckoning on race and systemic oppression.

To ask how LaDonnis evolved from party anthems to something so eloquent and deeply personal may be an interesting question. But it’s not a particularly relevant one. What matters is the work, and “Black Boy” is nothing if not a monumental triumph.

Watch/listen above.

More Info
Web: ladonnis.com
Facebook: @loveladonnis
Instagram: @ladonnis
SoundCloud: @ladonnis
Twitter: @ladonnis