Hip-hop artist Seneca Da Product, who hails from the now-notorious city of Ferguson, MO and was a buddy of the late Michael Brown Jr., who loved music, is deeply saddened by what’s taking place in his hometown and has channeled his grieving into a musical expression. They say that “music has charms that soothe the savage beast,” and it’s Seneca’s hope that his song, “Teddy Bears,” will help soothe some of Ferguson’s pain and unrest following the murder by a police officer of 18-year-old Mike Brown. A lyric in his slow, mournful song says “Tie a teddy on the telephone pole, to honor my kid Mike.” Teddy bears, sneakers, posters, flowers and the like have long been a neighborhood way of honoring the fallen in a public manner.
Michael Brown crossed paths with Seneca quite often in Ferguson, while the rapper was handing out promo items, performing or just hanging out. Seneca would occasionally share some career and life pointers with the enthusiastic young Mike and his friends. Locally known as a “gentle giant,” Michael Brown was an amateur rapper, under the hip-hop moniker of “Big Mike.”
Seneca moved away from Ferguson and his Florissant Street ties some time ago, but stayed in touch and aware through various friends and family. He’s closely watching, as is the entire world, the dire circumstances that are unfolding in this Midwestern town that few even knew was on the Missouri map until the fateful day that his little buddy Michael Brown Jr. lost his life there.
