After he spent damn near as much time in court as the judge who sentenced him to 5 months in jail, Jussie Smollett has every reason to thank a higher power for his (temporary) freedom.
Source: Chicago Tribune / Getty
Instead of saving that for his prayers, TMZ reports the former Empire star addressed his court case and maintained his innocence on his new R&B song, “Thank You God.”
In what sounds like his best Drake impression, Jussie’s verses on the track speak out for the first time since he was released from jail a few weeks ago. He was sentenced to 150 days behind bars and 30 months of probation for “selfishly, arrogantly and narcissistically” staging the hate crime he reported to the police in 2019. Check out part of the song Jussie posted to his Instagram on Friday.
“It’s like they’re hell-bent on not solving the crime / Taking out the elements of race and trans and homophobia that’s straight taking lives / But turn around and act like I’m the one that killed the strides,” he rapped over a soulful beat.
“I can’t be mad / Take my ego out / Some people searching for fame / Some people chasing that clout / Just remember this, this ain’t that situation / You think I’m stupid enough to kill my reputation?”
Jussie still claims that he is one of many victims of our (in)justice system, but nothing makes someone look guilty as invoking God and dropping a gospel-inspired song. Just look at artists like R. Kelly and Kanye, who took us to church when their reputation started going to hell. On “Thank You God,” a gospel choir sings “Thank you God for showing me my enemies.”
According to the caption on Instagram, 100% of the profits will be donated to the Rainbow Push Coalition, the Illinois Innocence Project, and Secure The Bag (STB) Safety. Jussie will remain on release from Cook County Jail while his legal team fights to get his conviction overturned because they claim was tried for the same crime twice and his constitutional rights were violated during the trial.
What do you think of Jussie’s new song?
Is it a catchy injustice bop or an unnecessary flop?