Classified is a gem of an artist who we are lucky to have as one of our own.
Known for an infectious degree of enthusiasm and love for music, Class also possesses the rare quality of wanting to use his platform to help others; spreading a message that goes way beyond popping bottles and braggadocious raps.
He speaks for the “Powerless,” which is the name of his latest single paying tribute to murdered and missing Indigenous women, and their untold stories.
As a Dec. 2017 CBC report shows, “even after the launch of a $53.8-million national inquiry and an increased focus on the issue, there is still no way to tell how many Indigenous women and girls go missing in Canada each year.”
This is beyond egregious and something every Canadian should take issue with. It’s 2018 and we’re unable to keep track of that? Or is more of a case of an unwillingness to keep track? Because when you have the hard stats and facts in front of you, it becomes harder to explain away why the issue isn’t being taken more seriously by authorities. Or harder for them to explain why it took them so long to take heed of what a growing percentage of the population has been demanding.
That inquiry was initiated just over a year earlier, after years of demands for action went unchecked:
“At the time, Amnesty International said Indigenous women between the ages of 25 and 44 were five times more likely to die as a result of violence and it could point to the murders committed by John Martin Crawford and Robert Pickton, and British Columbia’s Highway of Tears.
In 2014, the RCMP tallied more than a thousand Indigenous women who had been murdered since 1980, and another 152 who had gone missing since 1952.”
The issue is so widespread that CBC has a permanent page on their website dedicated to documenting unsolved or unresolved cases of indigenous women and girls who have been murdered or remain missing. There are currently 306 profiles on the page:
“CBC News has looked into 34 cases across Canada which involve the death or disappearance of Indigenous women, but which authorities say were not due to foul play. In every case, families of the women say they do not accept the findings of police. They suggest murder may be involved.”
Powerless Video
Classified’s new “Powerless” visual was directed by Andrew Hines, who received a Grammy nomination for his work on Logic’s “1-800-273-8255” video last year. The video depicts the ongoing horrors faced by the Indigenous communities on a daily basis, and the degree to which it has negatively impacted the community as a whole.
The video was shot on Millbrook First Nation, a Mi’kmaq First Nations group located in the Atlantic region of Canada, with a cast compromised solely of Indigenous people. Sadly, the ‘missing persons’ posters featured in the video are all real, “with the exception of the video’s main protagonist, played by Lisa Gushue.”
The “Powerless” video premiered on CBC Music this past Wednesday and is available for viewing below.
You can find the self-produced single on all digital streaming platforms.
