By Mr. Benjamins | This Is Hip Hop HQ | August 28, 2025

Oakland, California – Hip-hop has always been the pulse of resistance, and Bay Area artist The Young Yay (Jason Newman) is carrying that torch with his newest track, Fred Hampton. Released on August 23, 2025, the single is a bold homage to the slain Black Panther leader, a reminder of how much his vision still matters in today’s climate.

“They cut every corner just to fund more war but won’t fix the roof on the school next door,” raps The Young Yay, a line that slices through the noise of political spin and gets right to the bone of inequality.

Why Fred Hampton Still Matters

Fred Hampton, chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party in the late 1960s, was only 21 when he was assassinated in a 1969 FBI raid. In his short life, he forged alliances across racial lines—Black, Latino, and poor white communities—through what became known as the Rainbow Coalition. His message of socialism and community empowerment was branded as dangerous by the government, precisely because it was effective.

The Young Yay’s Fred Hampton makes it clear: those same battles rage on. From ICE detentions to record-breaking military spending while schools crumble, the parallels are impossible to ignore. The track positions itself not just as music, but as political commentary in rhyme.

A Voice From Oakland

Hailing from the Bay Area, the birthplace of the Black Panther Party, The Young Yay carries both the geography and the history of resistance in his DNA. In his submission, he explained how Oakland’s enduring grassroots work inspired the track:

“The people are still there trying to care for community by community with community. And all are invited no matter the race as long as you come educated or ready to receive an education.”

That ethos bleeds into the song. The beat rides with a hypnotic groove, but the lyrics demand attention, tackling subjects from economic disparity to state violence with unflinching honesty.

The Artist Behind the Mic

The Young Yay’s journey into music has been anything but linear. A self-described “queer Bay Area hip hop rap enthusiast/artist/therapist,” he grew up immersed in the underground rap scene, wrote rhymes as a coping mechanism during a turbulent youth, and stepped away from music for years before returning during the pandemic.

Sobriety, struggle, relapse, and rebirth all thread through his story. Since April 2024, he has been sober again and making music with fresh urgency—four albums deep and counting. Fred Hampton is the latest step in what he calls his “second life” in music, this time with a sharper focus on truth-telling.

Reception and Review

From the first listen, Fred Hampton stands out for its raw emotion, sharp storytelling, and confident delivery. The Young Yay’s flow is effortless, his breath control steady, and his tone urgent without being rushed. It has the hypnotic, laid-back groove of classic Bay Area rap, but with a lyrical bite that makes it hard to dismiss.

As I noted in my review: “This track seeks to capture and reflect the struggles faced by everyday people. That authenticity makes it relatable and powerful—it’s the kind of song that connects beyond just sound, it connects to lived experience.”

For that reason, it earns a solid 10/10 rating.

Hip-Hop As Protest

In many ways, Fred Hampton continues hip-hop’s original mission: to give voice to the voiceless. Much like Public Enemy’s Fight the Power or Dead Prez’s Hip Hop, The Young Yay isn’t just making music—he’s building a mirror for society.

And in 2025, when wealth inequality, systemic racism, and state surveillance remain headlines, that mirror feels more necessary than ever.

Final Word

Fred Hampton is more than a track. It’s an invocation of a spirit the government once tried to kill and a reminder that the fight for justice didn’t end in 1969.

For The Young Yay, this isn’t just music. It’s movement work with a beat. And for the listener, it’s a call to stay educated, stay aware, and, most importantly, stay in the fight.

Rating: 10/10

👉 Stream Fred Hampton now on Spotify.
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