Negro Terror begin the new year with their signature unapologetic energy in KKKaren Anthem, a blistering track that embodies resistance, defiance, and the spirit of Memphis street punk.
Standing against injustice isn’t just a choice—it’s a duty. As political systems continue to oppress and silence, KKKaren Anthem delivers a raw and aggressive rallying cry for action. The track is a sonic gut-punch, fueled by righteous anger and the urgency of the moment, reminding listeners that every act of defiance—big or small—has the power to disrupt the chains of inequality.
We sat down with Negro Terror to learn all about the KKKaren Anthem, their story so far and much. much more. Enjoy!
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Sum up your new music in three words for us?
Timeless, honest, music
Can you tell us about the journey of the band? How has your sound evolved since your transition from identifying as a skinhead to embracing Rasta and incorporating dub and reggae elements?
The band Negro Terror was meantion in 2010 at a venue called the The Full Moon (Memphis venue) from my brother Omar when we were just talking and i thought he was kinda joking but 5 years later after the transition of our Mother he had a little rehersal in Dec 2015. He always wanted me to play in the band because we played most of the songs including “Voice of Memphis” in the band Firm Foundation Riddim Squad but my headspace wasn’t right until we opened for CKY at the Hi Tone the next day at our church Omar asked if i was ready i said “yeah man, let’s do it O”. We went on to tour and win awards for our Documentary until his passing in 2019. After Omar passed and lineup change i wanted really take my time with the way the brand Negro Terror continued on and so far everything is going according to plan and its been really fun and fulfilling.
To answer the second question, I was briefly into the skinhead culture in the late 90’s early 2000’s as a way to find a place of belonging after switching schools because of racist teachers and fights. Discovering rock music within that sub culture through my older brother and his friends (most of which were older than him) made me wanna dive deeper into the culture later in my teenage years. After I dug deeper I learned about the link with big 60’s reggae, two tone etc. I started to get a lot more spiritual and found out about fulfilled rastafari through a reggae artist Christafari after attending a reggae show at the Complex (Memphis venue) with legendary artist Mikey Dread.
What inspired the creation of your new single “KKKaren Anthem”?
There are actually male and female Karen’s and they make life difficult for people living a righteous life with their B.S. So they deserve to be put in their place and this song really does that from the veres to the chorus and then the breakdown which is so Memphis. The music I’ve been writing has been intentional to reflect the times we are in but I also wanna keep the message timeless covering past, present and future.
You describe this new music as “life music” that speaks to justice, peace, and truth. What do you hope listeners will take away from this project?
This music is street music that reflects the struggle no matter where you come from. People want the truth no matter how ugly it may be and we are in the information generation which means there can be a lot of misinformation but the difference now is that people will fact check and seek the truth and the whole story. When we seek the truth and work together to build off that fighting against injustice we can see some kind of solace which will lead to peace. The new music is all about that and it’s a struggle but it’s always worth it in the end when fighting for truth and rights.
Why do you think it’s important for young listeners, especially black youth, to reclaim the narrative of rock music’s foundations?
Growing up, most of my peers didn’t really relate heavy rock music to African Americans at all but I was blessed to grow up in a musical family so from an early age I knew about the first rock band on MTV was a band from Memphis. I saw so many great guitar players (all of them very rock style players) in my Fathers bands and one of my Uncles left us his music collection. Two of the first tapes he gave us were George Michals Faith LP lol and Bad Brains first LP. WHen i popped in that Bad Brains cassette I was blown away and then I watched a documentary on them and early Hardcore and I couldn’t believe how many white rock bands were inspired by The Brains musicianship. So I want the youth to feel that same pride for the genre and continue to innovate within the genre.
How does keeping Omar’s spirit alive in your work inspire the band creatively and personally?
Omar wanted people to really learn and be entertained so I try to do both with the music going forward because that was something my parents and Omar instilled in me. My goal is to innovate the sound of Negro Terror while keeping that same spirit of what Omar accomplished. I’m proud to carry the torch in the lead road of Negro Terror and i wanna make him and my family proud and really wanna make music that continues to inspires and unites all ages.
What are some dream artists or festivals you’d love to collaborate with or perform at in the future?
I’d love to do something with Bodycount, Living Color, HR (again), Yo Gotti, I’d love to play Cali Roots, Red Rocks, Riot Fest, AfroPunk Fest and anywhere overseas
And finally, what are the plans in 2025 for NEGRO TERROR?
To keep education utilising social media and putting out great music that the world can sing along to.
Listen/Buy KKKaren Anthem HERE.
