anees mokhiber 6/21/20 anees mokhiber 6/21/20

Brown Kid: The Story Behind The Bars

It was 2019. i had no clue what i was even doing as an artist.

I had yet to record a full song on a real microphone. Actually, I had yet to record anything outside of my phone. At the time, I was exclusively an instagram rapper. And of my most popular posts on Instagram involved a line:

“I’m the brown kid in white America, and that’s not as easy as you think”.

What was I trying to say to my followers? What did I want my audience to gain from this line?

well, I think i wanted to share this sentiment: while being Arab in this country may not be the hardest thing to deal with, it’s also not the easiest. I didn’t want to start any oppression olympics… but I was making it clear that being “brown” brings it’s own set of challenges. They weren’t extreme (for me) but they were real. undoubtedly, my “brown kid” status altered the course of my life.

Now, obviously, being “brown” doesn’t necessarily mean you are Arab. more popularly, it means you are Indian, Latino, African, etc. maybe arabs aren’t the first “brown” people that come to mind… But, proclaiming myself as the “brown kid in White America” was my way of claiming my identity unequivocally, acknowledging my hardships bluntly, and telling my story.

Well… a year later, the “brown kid” Instagram post evolved into a full song. My second song to release. it drops tonight at 12AM.

As I wrote the full song, I found myself experiencing the full range of “brown kid” emotions: pride, joy, anger, pain, and resolve. this song touches on some of the ways in which “brown”-ness feels like a disadvantageous badge of honor.

I’m excited to share this piece of me with y’all. Even if you’re not brown, you might find you relate to it. I wrote it inclusively. It’s about me, but it’s not only about me. It can be about you too. Most of us have at least 1 characteristic that renders us a minority.

So sahtein… enjoy every line if it speaks to your soul. Please let me know your thoughts. I’m proud of this song. I pray it can serve as an anthem for any “brown kid” who needs one… Regardless of skin tone, native tongue, origin, or any other visible divisible. for me, “brown” isn’t a HEX value… it’s an identity. and If it’s yours, then so too is this song.

I love y’all. Brown or otherwise.