Back Home is the lead single off of the new Blue Scholars record “Bayani”. The group consists of Filipino rapper Geologic, and Persian DJ Sabzi. The duo is well known for being critical of US imperialism, and like all conscious rap groups, their message is one of empowerment amongst the people.

Geologic even draws a connection to the exploitation of soldiers in past US wars: “She says he fought for freedom, but she knows it’s just a lie cuz her father was a veteran with benefits denied.” The line is in reference to the fact that Filipino soldiers drafted to serve in the US military during World War II were stripped of their veteran status once Japan was defeated. My grandfather is one of those veterans.

The title of the Blue Scholars album, Bayani, means two similar things to the two members of the group. In Tagalog, the most commonly spoken language of the Philippines, it means “heroes of the people”. In Farsi, the main language of the Persian people, Bayani means “the word”.