Young vocalist Keedron Bryant says God led him to record his viral “I Just Wanna Live.” He has been using his voice to invoke change in the world ever since.
Bryant opened up in this week’s issue of PEOPLE about growing up Black in America amid racial tensions and the constant social injustices that Blacks are faced with.
“My parents always tell me and my sister, ‘You have to know that you’re Black and when you go out into the world, make sure you respect people and treat everybody how you would want to be treated,'” the 13-year-old explained. He swept across social media May after posting a video of himself singing “I Just Wanna Live,” a song written by his mother, Johnetta, in response to the murder of George Floyd. “They want us to have knowledge, so we’re not clueless and confused when we get pulled over by a police officer when we’re older. To think I’m a Black male going out into the streets makes me afraid, but I always try to keep my faith in God and that he’ll protect me.”
The eighth-grader from Jacksonville, Florida, said that God led his mother to write the single, to which he then prayed for the strength to perform.
“It was heartbreaking. So my mom prayed and asked God to give her something to pass down to me for wisdom. God gave her those lyrics, then she gave the lyrics to me and told me to go upstairs and pray over them. So that’s what I did.” He continued, “I asked God to give me power and strength to deliver the right message in a really hopeful way,” he says. “After that, I went back downstairs and said that I was ready to record. I felt really hopeful that it was a good song, but I didn’t know the impact it would have.”
Within days, Bryant’s video had attracted over a million views, some of which from the biggest names in entertainment, including LeBron James, Janet Jackson, and former President Barack Obama.
“I feel really grateful to be a part of the Black Lives Matter movement. Little steps matter and I hope racial profiling and violence towards Black people changes. I want to live without fear.”
The video even landed the teen a record deal within weeks of its release. His debut EP “I Just Wanna Live” was released on September 11th.
“Even if people are sad about what’s going on. I hope that I bring them joy with my music,” said before adding, “I don’t want to be known as just the ‘I Just Wanna Live’ boy,” he says. “I want to leave a really big footprint on the world, and I’ll always keep fighting for what is right.”
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