THESE DAYS it feels like the world is in complete chaos. Every week there’s a new catastrophic death toll, police shooting, rape, or murder.
Following the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando last month, listening to Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” became a therapeutic ritual for me. Withstanding the test of time, the song has the ability to relate to listeners’ emotions while begging for answers and grieving the world’s suffering. Love was Gaye’s legacy. About two weeks after the tragedy, a posthumous duet featuring BJ the Chicago Kid was released to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Gaye’s legendary song.
“That’s one of my favorite things in life right now,” says BJ. “I had to go step outside for a second and just absorb the moment that I’ll be singing parts of this song for a final cut, you know? [laughs] I had to remove myself as a fan and become an artist for a second because… his music humbles you, man.”
