Keonté Beals is back with a new video that hammers home the idea that if you’re not going into 2021 as a more empathetic person you have wasted your year. “KING” frames stoicism as toxic masculinity, the weight of which can negatively impact anyone’s mental well-being, but as Beals explains, under societal pressures and rigid scrutiny as a black man it can become a lifelong prison.
Beal’s open the video with the preface: “Toxic masculinity can be harmful to men & everybody around. Being a black man in today’s society means to be a slave to everybody’s else’s self-conscience.”
It becomes an impossible situation as culture and circumstance collide. External expectations and internal pressures find their boiling point as mental and emotional wellbeing are pitted against perception. It’s the sort of toxic masculinity that Beals describes as “more of a brand rather than a character trait.”
“I wrote this song exactly a year ago from right now which is ironic because the message is so relevant for this very moment in time,” explains Beals. “There is such a stigma and pressure put on black men that is forced onto us at birth due to how we are perceived by society. We have to stick to those given morals and values and anything outside of that is side-eyed. To be strong and not have feelings because it will show weakness. To suppress our feelings which eventually turns toxic.”
“KING” is a big title for any song, but rather than spelling out a lyrical flex, Beals compares the situation to the narrow path at the top, and the crumbling empire of one’s mental health sacrificed to maintain that precarious position.
“A king sits at the top of an empire. So the word ‘King’ naturally flowed into the melody as I sang what would now end up being the chorus,” says Beals. “‘KING’ isn’t speaking about myself being King of Everything, but rather my experience of being a young, successful black man in today’s society. The pressures, the stigma, police brutality, religion, toxic masculinity, etc….”
And if Beals deserves the title, it’s for using his experience in a noble pursuit: “I’m the type of person who reaches back to help others achieve success as well, which too is a passion of mine,” says Beals. “Encouraging the growth in others.”