Up for triple j’s Like A Version this week is Taka Perry. He took A.GIRL along with them to give us a really powerful cover of Kanye West’s iconic 2004 single ‘Jesus Walks’ but it’s mashed together with Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s ‘All The Stars’.
It’s a stellar and really powerful Like A Version. From the vocal layering to the seamless transitions between the two songs — it’s a special cover and executed really well. As well as that though, it reflects on recent events around the Black Lives Matter movement with A.GIRL laying her own bars on top of the track.
A.GIRL lays down lines like, “Do you know what Sydney’s West is? Young and reckless. That’s a false image. They won’t accept us.”
And, “Black lives matter, Black lives are precious. Do what you can to voice this message. Don’t stay silent, that shit’s violent.”
In his Behind The Like A Version Taka Perry explains how he wanted to keep that gospel choir feeling from the original. But due to the COVID-19 restrictions, it wasn’t possible. They actually layered a bunch of vocal takes to take into the studio with them to keep that vibe.
As well as A.GIRL, Taka Perry is joined by Sydney artists Gia Vorne (who features on Perry’s original ‘Only U’) and Emalia.
We received a rendition of Taka Perry’s ‘Only U’ as well — it’s super stunning.
