00:01Essence family, wherever you are, wherever you're watching from,
00:04hope you enjoy yourselves.
00:06As an artist, I'm inspired by the vision of Marvin Gaye,
00:10the unapologetic blackness of James Brown,
00:13and the profound words of Nina Simone that it is our duty to reflect the times.
00:18These times are the toughest I've ever experienced in my life,
00:21and we as a people are hurting while mourning the ongoing deaths
00:24of black men and women killed by senseless violence.
00:28The images of protests and uprising in the streets across the nation
00:32have shown the courage and bravery of activists and organizations
00:36who demand a change to a broken system rooted in hundreds of years of racism.
00:41While I felt incredibly sad and frustrated by how slow things change in this country,
00:46I'm inspired by the resilience and the determination of our people.
00:52I wrote a song called I Cry,
00:55and it was originally inspired by me wanting to teach my sons that it was okay as a man to cry.
01:03But then while shutting during the pandemic,
01:05I felt a deeper commitment to use my platform for a greater good.
01:10So I came back to the song and decided to put it out now.
01:14The last time I was on the Essence stage in the footage you just saw from 2015,
01:20I wore a Juneteenth T-shirt.
01:22This month, I wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post uplifting the efforts of 93-year-old Miss Opal Lee
01:29in a petition demanding that the United States Congress make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
01:34Within 24 hours, we band together and got over a million signatures and a bill introduced in the United States Senate.
01:42See what happens when we come together?
01:44But we must not take our foot off the gas. We've got to get this bill passed.
01:47I will continue to use the blessings that I have been given to be able to serve my people and the black community.
01:54You've always shown me so much love and I am forever grateful.
01:58I'm humbled tonight to premiere the video for I Cry.
02:02It includes the iconic photography from the great humanitarian and black artist, Gordon Parks,
02:07who documented the experience of black Americans from the 40s to the 70s.
02:12All of my proceeds from this record will go and be donated to the LISC to support black-owned businesses.
02:19Enjoy.
02:21you
02:33I can't keep it together.
02:35I usually don't show my emotions.
02:44But it ain't getting better, cause you can't be blind with eyes wide open.
02:55And I see struggle, I see pain, I see only the mess we made.
03:02I see things that I can't change, and it hurts my heart to say.
03:07I cry for the sons with our fathers, and the pain that the mothers hold deep inside.
03:19And I'll fight for the future we're making, you can change if we face it, cause these tears won't dry.
03:31So I cry.
03:37Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh.
03:42Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh.
03:44When I look in the mirror, do I see someone that cares for others?
03:52Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
03:56Do I love myself more than my sisters?
04:03I don't know.
04:05Yeah, I've seen struggles, I've seen pain
04:10I've seen beyond the mess we made
04:13I've seen things that I cannot change
04:17And it hurts my heart to say
04:19I cry for the sons without fathers
04:24And the pain that their mothers hold deep inside
04:30So I'll fight for the future we're making
04:36And the changing we're facing
04:39Cause these tears won't dry
04:42So I cry
04:45I cry
04:51Cry
04:55Cry
04:56For the truth that's unspoken
05:00But the promise is broken
05:03I will stand by your side
05:07I'm fine
05:09For the ones who stop dreaming
05:12And the ones who stop believing
05:15You're not alone
05:16I feel your pain
05:18I cry
05:20For the sons without fathers
05:24And the pain that their mothers hold deep inside
05:30I find
05:33For the future we're making
05:36And the only change is if we face it
05:40It's love over pride
05:43I'll cry
05:43I'll cry
05:47And the only change is sent to the
05:49As we start believing in who it knows
05:52I'll cry
05:53I'll cry
05:56You
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