Georgia-based rapper, linguist, activist, parent, and politician Mariah Parker (they/them), who performs as Linqua Franqa, shared their new single, “Coming for Ours.” The release comes in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Fight for $15 and the November 19th launch of Union of Southern Service Workers, where Parker now organizes. The upbeat track is nothing short of inspiring, and though it clocks in at just under the two minute mark, “Coming for Ours” is packed full of lyrics that uplift and empower – stressing the importance of fair wages, collective struggle, and respect for the working class – especially in times like we’re facing today. Parker says, “I wrote the song back in the spring and had the opportunity to attend a worker convening in DC and help emcee an AB257 rally in California, experiences which really opened my eyes to the beauty and resiliency of this movement, influencing my decision to join the struggle directly.”

 
The Fight for $15 movement started on November 29, 2012, when over 100 workers from fast food restaurants across New York City went on strike for higher wages, better working conditions and the right to form a union without retaliation from management, and the movement for fair wages and dignity continues today. Parker continues, “Liberation struggle, like work life itself, can be lonely, gruelingly slow, and fraught with uncertainty with fear, but I hope this song dares folks to embrace working class status defiantly and with it the collective power we have as the folks who make everything run.”

Earlier this year, Linqua Franqa released their acclaimed album Bellringer via Ernest Jenning Record Co, which earned praise from several media outlets. The standout single “Bellringer” (feat. Jeff Rosenstock) also won Best Original Song at the renowned Los Angeles International Film Festival’s Indie Short Fest. Produced by Parker, Reindeer Games and Joel Hatstat, the new album features guests including Jeff Rosenstock, Of Montreal, Kishi Bashi, Dope KNife, Wesdaruler, and Angela Davis, and touches on issues like police brutality, social media addiction, mental health, anti-capitalism, labor organizing, among other topics ripped from the headlines. 
 
“Lingua franca” is a term for a language used to communicate across cultures. Weaving a rich tapestry of hip-hop lyricism and neo-soul hooks, Parker uses music as a tool to communicate – and educate – across cultural boundaries, imbuing every song with a sense of urgency and keen social consciousness. Bellringer is a natural continuation of the work Parker has committed themselves to both as an artist and politician. Boiled down to a word, Bellringer at its heart is about liberation – and the obstacles that prevent us from achieving it. Parker is a “linqua franqa” for the people.

Photo Courtesy: Sean Dunn