Premiering here at Music Crowns, rising hip-hop artist Hollow Profit, the deeply reflective moniker of Duluth’s own Brody Lee Burke, is making waves with the release of his soul-stirring new single ‘Mortal Men’. Accompanied by a moving music video dropping June 27 — directed by RoeKanuu (Nicholas Anderson) and represented by Decent Music PR — this track is a poetic meditation on violence, impermanence, and the urgent need for change.
Produced by Be Franky and Katsuro (Alberto Salinas), ‘Mortal Men’ arrives as a powerful lyrical tribute to lives lost too young — both within the hip-hop community and Burke’s personal circle. Drawing inspiration from the legacies of artists like 2Pac, Pop Smoke, and King Von, Hollow Profit lays bare the grim reality too many in the genre face. “I read that hip-hop artists are something like 30 times more likely to be murdered than those in other genres,” he shares. “Whether that number is exact or not, it rings true to me.”
The emotional weight of ‘Mortal Men’ is matched by its vivid storytelling and raw production. Hollow Profit’s delivery carries echoes of 2Pac’s conviction, Joey Bada$$’s consciousness, and the visceral edge of 50 Cent — a sound forged in both homage and heartbreak. “This song is for all the lost ones,” he says. “For my cousin’s brother who was killed at 19, and for my wife’s co-worker who died in a quadruple homicide. It feels like we’re surrounded by death, but I’m not afraid of it — I just want a safer world for my kids.”
Raised in Duluth, Minnesota, Burke’s journey into hip-hop began at age 14 after hearing Eminem’s ‘Berserk’ on a family road trip. But it was Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly that opened the floodgates of creative purpose. Now, as Hollow Profit, he channels his influences — from Kendrick to Wu-Tang Clan to MF DOOM — into a sound that’s both urgent and unfiltered.
With ‘Mortal Men’, Hollow Profit steps firmly into the spotlight as an artist unafraid to face uncomfortable truths. “We are here today and gone tomorrow,” he says. “Let us build a better future with the time we have.” That sentiment — one of pain, purpose, and ultimately hope — is the beating heart of this essential release.
Check out ‘Mortal Men’ and witness a rising voice in hip-hop transform grief into a rallying cry for change.
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