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The O’Jays Release Politically Charged Vid, “Above The Law”

Multi-platinum selling and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, The O’Jays(Eddie Levert Sr., Walter Williams Sr. and Eric Nolan Grant), return today with the new single, “Above the Law.” This hard-hitting, politically charged track is the lead single from the group’s forthcoming final studio album, The Last Wordwhich is their first in almost 20 years and is set for releaseFebruary 22, 2019 via S-CURVE RECORDS.

“Above the Law” was composed by soul music legend Betty Wright and Angelo Morris, and produced by Steve Greenberg, Betty Wright, Mike Mangini, and Sam Hollander.

 

“Living in a climate of surreal reality TV, etc, I decided to address subject matter on subjects that matter in the REAL world,” said Betty Wright. “‘Above the Law’ describes the habits and habitat of true menaces to society.”

“Above the Law” is a critical look at the precarious state of social and criminal justice in America, from a group whose discography is filled with social commentary. As elder statesmen, the group has experienced much throughout their lives, from the civil rights movement to rising economic inequality and erosion of democratic norms. On this new single and upcoming album they are sharing their perspective on the state of the country as well as the world; offering up some words of wisdom for the next generation before exiting the stage.

O’Jays Live in  Las Vegas
CREDIT: Denise Truscello/MightyOJays.com

BREAKING VIDEOS TO WATCH

 

“If you listen to the lyrics, it answers the question why we chose to release this song first,” said Eddie Levert Sr. “The song speaks for itself. And whether it’s us saying it or any concerned person: nobody is above the law. The law is there to punish the guilty and protect the innocent no matter who you are.”

“We live in an extraordinary but troubling time. The opening verse of the song states “the man with pen in his hand changes the lay and the law of the land,”” said Walter Williams Sr. “We are all blessed to live in this great country, but to keep it great it requires us to be vigilant in preserving our democracy. This means voting regardless of the obstacles put in front of us and also making sure that our laws are followed. Nobody is above the law, and we need to keep it this way.”

With over 50 years of touring and some of music’s most beloved hits under their belt, The O’Jays remain one of today’s seminal music acts. The group scored their first number 1 in 1972 with “Backstabbers.” Subsequently, they had other various chart-topping pop and R&B singles including “Love Train”, “Put Your Hands Together”,  “For The Love of Money”,  “I Love Music”,  “Darlin’ Darlin’ Baby (Sweet, Tender, Love)”, “Livin’ For The Weekend” and  “Use Ta Be My Girl.” This success propelled The O’Jays to be the first black vocal group to perform in arenas throughout America during the 70s and 80s.  The group was often featured  in Right On! Magazine and lead singer Eddie Levert’s sons Gerald and Sean Levert (now deceased) were two members of the popular singing trio Levert.

Eddie Levert Sr. and Walter Williams Sr. as well as Eric Nolan Grant, who joined the group in 1995, continue to thrill fans today. Throughout their career The O’Jays have achieved 10 Gold albums, 9 Platinum albums and 10 #1 hits.

The O’Jays were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005 and honored with BET’s Life Time Achievement Award in 2009. In 2013, they were inducted into The Official R&B Music Hall of Fame.