Jason Aldean's 'Try That In A Small Town' video causes stir across TN
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Voices across Tennessee and beyond are talking about Jason Aldean after the release of his most recent music video, with some condemning the imagery and others saying it represents their values.
“I think it’s a racist video,” MTSU political science professor Dr. Sekou Franklin said. Franklin is also the former president of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists and helped start “The Black Rural Project.”
Others across the state quickly defended the song and music video.
📧 Have breaking come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts →
“To me, I look at this song and I’m like, ‘Why are you against this song?’” Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) said.
The video was shot outside the Maury County Courthouse, the same site of the 1927 lynching of Henry Choate.
The video shows news clips of protests, mentioning cussing at police, and stomping on the American flag, among other crimes. The chorus then states “try that in a small town” and “we take care of our own.”
“Where I represent, God’s Country in East Tennessee, this rings with us. We’re never going to stand for you creating mayhem, creating chaos, walking into our local Walgreens and just smashing and grabbing, going to Walmart and creating all kinds of havoc. We’re not going to have that and we’re going to stand up for our freedoms for our safety, and our neighbors, each one of us. We will protect ourselves,” Faison said.
Yet others take issue with the video. Sheryl Crow called it “lame” say it is not “American or small town like.” Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) also called on lawmakers to condemn the video.
(Photo: WKRN)
“Really it promoted violence; that’s the main issue. It said if you come into this town, small towns, you’ll be treated in a certain way and part of that was there’s this kind of vigilantism that is going to be carried out against people who commit crime or protestors,” Franklin said.
(Photo: WKRN)
Aldean stood by his video on twitter, saying it’s about neighbors taking care of neighbors, denying anyone calling it a “pro-lynching” song, or racist. He also noted all clips in his video was real news footage.
(Photo: WKRN)
“He had an obligation to know the history, but he had a larger obligation to not do the video in front of a courthouse when paired with just the level of imagery, the racialized imagery he had in it,” Franklin said, also adding that none of the news clips in the video depicted riots that occurred on Jan. 6.
Yet Faison, a musician himself, disagreed and said the video represented how many feel in light of current events.
“What in these lyrics have anything to do with what took place in 1920? I see nothing. If you can show me, I’m all ears,” Faison said.
CMT has pulled Aldean’s video. However, you can still view it on his YouTube channel.
Source: WKRN News 2
