Streetsmartz101 New Single Will Have You Crying ‘Black Tears’

Not even two months since the last StreetSmartz101 video drop, and they return with another fantastic video. Back in April the trio released ‘Queen’s Anthem’, a celebration of women everywhere and the women in our lives. The Central Floridians, along with their own label Zero18 Global, are shaking up the music scene and making it their own. They’re devoted to building their brand and making sure they’re a force to be reckoned with.

Now they return with ‘Black Tears’, an emotional, soulful hip hop track that’s sure to leave listeners feeling moved. Known for their huge hooks and attention-grabbing bars, StreetSmartz101 are no different with ‘Black Tears’, the song being perfect marriage of intelligent, quick-witted hip hop and rich soul music. The rapping in the verses acts like a fast-paced but smooth transition into that vulnerable soul sound.

Just like ‘Queen’s Anthem’, ‘Black Tears’ really makes you stop and pay attention to what they’re saying. It’s a deeply moving story about young black men who face law enforcement and may never see their families again. “Watch out for cops,” StreetSmartz101 warn the listener, citing the tragic deaths of Trayvon Martin and George Floyd – and how that’s made them paranoid for their own lives and safety. But that fear can’t be avoided – not for a son and not for a mother. Listen carefully, and you can feel a mother’s pain at the thought of losing her son.

The video for ‘Black Tears’ is perfect for this single. Starting with a woman standing in front of the camera, we see her plead for the black kings to listen and stop being selfish with their reckless behaviour – “These streets don’t love you,” she implores, “They don’t love nobody. They’re definitely not gonna love you like your momma’s gonna.” She firmly asks the viewers to think about the pain they’re inflicting on the people around them when they want to go out and risk their freedom. From there, the music kicks in, and the guys of StreetSmartz101 come into frame.

We’re invited into the home of a single mother and her son. We watch as he walks out of the house, and all eyes fall on him and his next moves. As the video continues, the mother leafs through photo albums as her son fades away into the background. The video ends with StreetSmartz101 all dressed in white as the young man walks down the street towards the horizon. It’s an ominous video that’s sure to leave an impact.

Watch the video for ‘Black Tears’ below, and follow StreetSmartz101 on Instagram.