October 2025

Disarray

Alright

Alright (feat. Joyce Wrice)

For My Own Entertainment

Alive

Alive (Edit)

Sony Ericsson

Never Gunna Give You Up

LEAN ON MY LOVE – A COLORS SHOW

Temple Dogs

Love or a Lesson

Burning of the Midnight Lamp

Burning of the Midnight Lamp (Take 30)

Magnify

Day-ones, this one’s for you! Drop your questions in the comment section and I’ll be back to answer them live on Monday, October 6th. See you there! 🏇 

Gone

Don't Remind Me

3. “Mirror in the Graveyard”

Karma begins to whisper. The dead are restless. Trump and his ilk face their own shadows—but instead of reflection, they find decay. In a graveyard of forgotten justice, the mirror doesn’t lie. This track is soul-deep and haunting, a poetic meditation on guilt, denial, and the spirits that won’t stay silent. The past is watching, and it wants payment.

Mirror in the Graveyard

choose me

Snow’s fallin' down on the avenue
Cabbies cussin’ out a man in blue
A storefront manger got graffiti tags
But baby Jesus still waves that white flag

There’s a priest blessin’ a blackjack hand
Candy canes meltin’ in the heat lamp stand
Ma’s roastin’ chestnuts next to a Glock
And Santa’s slippin’ out the pawn shop with a Rolex knock

It’s Christmas in Liberty City
Where the angels got gold chains and a little bitty pity
You hear carols over sirens and a deal goin’ down
But it’s peace on Earth in this crooked ol’ town

Niko’s in a Santa suit, drinkin' straight slivovitz
Roman's yellin’ “Cousin!” in a cab full’a gifts
Little Jacob lightin’ up, spreadin' that cheer
Got a trunk full’a mistletoe and “fireworks,” dear
Brucie flexin’ by the snow-dusted whips
Screamin’ “Alpha male Christmas!” while doin’ backflips
Packie’s got whiskey in a Rudolph flask
While the crew pulls a heist wearin’ holiday masks

Yeah, the corner boys sing, but they don’t sing sweet
Unless you count “Jingle Bells” over a trap beat
Midnight Mass got a velvet rope
And the wise men brought cash, cologne, and dope

It’s Christmas in Liberty City
Where the naughty list’s longer, but the tree’s still pretty
From Dukes to Algonquin, we light up the night
With cannoli and crime and them Christmas lights

Snow turns red where the deals went sour
But hey—it’s still the most wonderful freakin’ hour
Mama said, “Pray for peace,” so I lit a cigar
Tossed a prayer in the air from a getaway car

There’s a priest blessin’ a blackjack hand
Candy canes meltin’ in the heat lamp stand
Ma’s roastin’ chestnuts next to a Glock
And Santa’s slippin’ out the pawn shop with a Rolex knock

It’s Christmas in Liberty City
Where the angels got gold chains and a little bitty pity
You hear carols over sirens and a deal goin’ down
But it’s peace on Earth in this crooked ol’ town

"I came here for a new life…
And somehow, I got Christmas in a war zone
But in this city?
Even the cold feels warm…
If ya got a full clip and family to eat with."

It’s Christmas in Liberty City
With the skyline lit and the mood kinda gritty
We got hope in our pockets and scars on our soul
But the snow keeps fallin’ and the drinks still flow
So here’s to the lost, the saints, and the shitty
Merry freakin’ Christmas, from Liberty City

Blues X - Christmas In Liberty City

In 2020, Jon Batiste redefined what it means to be productive. 
Recording and releasing two Grammy-nominated albums, check. 
Cultural and social advocacy, check. Band leading and music directing on the Late Show, check. Practicing, learning, sharing, growing, check.
 
Was he done there? Batiste? Nah. 
 
He decided to build a studio in his dressing room at the renowned Ed Sullivan Theater and invited a few talented friends—including singer-songwriter Autumn Rowe and producer Kizzo—to lay the blueprint for what is destined to become a seminal masterpiece of black pop American music, his forthcoming album, WE ARE. Not to mention, he put all of this together in 6 days. Again, redefining productivity. 
 
He ended the year with his music and likeness being centrally featured in the Disney/Pixar film Soul. His composing and songwriting will be featured in his large-scale, genre-melding symphonic work “American Symphony,” set to premiere at Carnegie Hall in 2021 and he has been developing a broadway musical about the life of famed painter Jean-Michel Basquiat.
 
Jon balances a demanding performance schedule—which often includes his signature ‘love riot’ street parades—with public speaking engagements, masterclasses, brand partnerships, community activism, and acting roles. In the wake of George Floyd's murder and in the lead up to the election, he organized several peaceful protest marches, leading thousands in the streets of New York City. He played himself on the HBO series Tremé and appeared in Spike Lee’s Red Hook Summer and Da Sweet Blood of Jesus.

LEAN ON MY LOVE – A COLORS SHOW

Jon Batiste

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Samuel Malkemus

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