Dominic Fike pens powerful essay arguing for police defunding
Rapper and vocalist Dominic Fike has penned an essay detailing the negative experiences he and his family have had at the hands of the police, while also arguing for their defunding.
Fike, who is of Filipino and African-American descent, said on Instagram that he has delayed the release of the first song from his forthcoming debut album in the wake of worldwide protests for racial equality. “It doesn’t feel right to release music today but it does feel right to continue this conversation,” he said.
“My life has felt cursed since I was a little kid. I’ve watched police, the supposed good guys, beat my mom and take her away. I’ve had my brothers taken away. Aunts. Uncles. Shit, my dad just got 20. It’s like they had a problem with my family. I’ve since realized the real curse is the system we live in is designed for us to lose, again and again,” Fike wrote.
He went on to describe his own conviction for battery on a police officer, for which he served eight months. While on house arrest following the incident he recorded and released his debut EP ‘Don’t Forget About Me, Demos’.
“I tried to defuse a situation with the police and my younger brother, I interfered and the cop made up a story to fit his actions,” Fike claimed. “I’m lucky I could do music, since no one will ever hire me. I can’t tour in the UK. I can’t go to so many places, because of a decision this asshole made out of spite. None of these decisions were based on trying to help us, they wanted us to disappear.”
He continued: “It’s more than just a couple bad cops. Systemic racism and brute, abusive power are issues ingrained into this country but things can change. Over the last couple weeks, we’ve seen a spark and we have to act on it.
“This is a time for us to stand strong and demand justice for the innocent black lives being taken from us – George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmad Arbery and all the names we’ll never get to know.” He then argued that police departments should be defunded and the money re-spent on “the people they’re supposed to be protecting.”
He concluded: “I’ll get you the music soon but we’ve got other things to do right now.” His most recent release was last November’s collaboration with Omar Apollo, ‘Hit Me Up’.
