Chicago Rapper, Poet Collaborate In Hopes That "Change Gone Come"

By Jon Graef in Arts & Entertainment on Dec 4, 2012 10:00PM

Chicago poet and Young Chicago Authors teacher Malcolm London teamed up with fellow Austin neighborhood resident and emcee Saba in order to radically interpolate Sam Cooke's soul classic "A Change is Gonna Come," College Dropout-style. Download it here.

Addressing Chicago's myriad social ills, London goes on an alliterative roll under the sped-up, then chopped up, Cooke classic, laying out as well as contextualizing problems ranging from gentrification to drug use. The rapping gets a little laborious, especially when London tries going behind the beat, but the rock-solid production carries him throughout, which allows him to regain his linguistic footing on later verses. "Change Gone Come" might not touch Sam Cooke's original (what could?), but London and Saba show ample creativity with their new interpretation, and would no doubt do the man proud. Listen below: