Everybody and they mama’s have been buzzin on Justice’s “Civilization” track this summer. And while I  definitely dig ‘em; I still haven’t exactly crossed over to super fan. In due time perhaps?

Their title track, “Audio, Video, Disco” leaked online over the Holiday weekend and it actually took me a few listens before I decided to go ahead and post it here. But it’s kind of a grower … The album is set to drop October 25 – watch and listen below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Download:  Justice – The Beginning of the End

By late 2007, you either loved or hated Justice. The French duo stormed the US and the world with their album Cross was nominated for a Grammy, while their hit “D.A.N.C.E.” got MTV airplay and was sampled by none other than Wale.

Flash forward to 2010 and my inbox was greeted with this track called “The Beginning of the End.” The verdict: Meh. The duo does not explore new territory on this one, while their hard synths remain, the overall track sounds dated and simplistic. It’s good to hear new Justice, but I might have to take a pass on this one.

For the cinematography alone this should win an award. If you don’t know, the people you are seeing in the Justice “cross” jackets are from Paris’ infamous suburbs, who decedents from second and third generation African immigrants who are, for the most part, completely ostracized from French society. You may think that the US has a race problem, but personally I think that our problems are far better than those of Europe, where the .

I don’t know if this Justice video plays on the feelings of disenfranchised youth or makes fun of it. It’s definitely a topic of discussion. I don’t know how I feel about this. As a person who indirectly knows someone who got beat up by a bunch of Black kids because they were White “gentrifyers” here in DC, I have to put on the record that I think these actions are wrong. But I don’t think that this video glamorizes these youth at all, but instead makes their actions all too real. The small touches, such as the sound guy getting in some of the shots (and eventually catching fire) and the youths kicking the radio when Justice’s “Dance” come are what put this video over the top.

If you want to know more about the situation in the Paris Suburbs, check Wikipedia or watch the movie La Haine. What do y’all think?