Black Punk/Hardcore Now: Negro Terror Return with New Line-up & New Single “KKKaren Anthem”
Negro Terror, L-R: Jareef Greene, Casey Legend, and David Higgins (CREDIT: Joseph Higgins)
“We are here to play music, kick Nazi a$$, and chew bubblegum and we're all out of bubblegum.🤘🏿🔥🎸” is the Intro listed on Negro Terror’s artist Facebook page. Negro Terror, the brainchild of former bassist and Reggae frontman Omar Higgins, is an all-American, all-Hardcore/Punk group that just happens to be all-Black, but the music that's played has no color; just the crimson red of pure aggression,” further explains their Bandcamp page. First forming in 2015, Negro Terror unleashed their debut EP, The Bootlegg, in April of 2017, but, unfortunately, within a couple years, by April of 2019, Higgins had passed away at age 37 due to complications from both a mini-stroke and a staph infection. Prior to and at the time of Higgins’ sudden passing, Negro Terror’s then-line-up also consisted of guitarist Ricardo “R.i.co.” Fields, drummer Ra’id Khursheed, and (sometimes) lead guitarist/Omar’s brother David Higgins. Not long after Higgins’ passing, director/producer/editor John Rash released Memphis Hardcore Punk: Negro Terror - Documentary Film, which chronicled Omar’s life and the all-too-brief upward trajectory and success of the band. After Higgins’ untimely passing, the film’s release, and Negro Terror’s seeming disbandment, R.i.c.o. & Ra’id formed a similarly-minded group of their own entitled Seize & Desist, who unleashed The Cease & Desist Letter EP in collaboration with virtuoso bassist/guitarist Ping D. Rose. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, Negro Terror re-emerged in December 2023 with a completely updated incarnation and new line-up featuring David Higgins now providing guitar/vocals, bassist Jareef Greene, and drummer Casey Legend fully back in tow with a brand-spankin’ new single, “Shots Fired.”
A recent press release further explains, “THE LEGACY OF OMAR [HIGGINS’] HARDCORE [PUNK BAND] NEGRO TERROR CONTINUES WITH NEW [LINE-UP] AND NEW FRONTMAN, DAVID HIGGINS.” Originally released exclusively on Bandcamp back on February 7th, Negro Terror have unveiled their first widely available official single of 2025 across digital streaming platforms with the “KKKaren Anthem.” Regarding his inspirations behind the creation of “KKKaren Anthem,” Higgins recently told MUSIC CROWNS writer Daniel Meggitt, “there are, actually, male and female Karen’s and they make life difficult for people living a righteous life with their B.S. So, they deserve to be put in their place and this song really does that from the [verses] to the chorus and, then, the breakdown, which is so Memphis. The music I’ve been writing has been intentional to reflect the times we are in, but I, also, wanna keep the message timeless covering past, present, and future.” I’ve been chatting with Higgins, via email, in recent weeks, as well, and it appears as though Negro Terror plan to release a single a month for the next few months through at least the Summer/Fall. Higgins has, also, been working with the surviving members of one of his brother Omar’s other bands, Chinese Connection Dub Embassy (AKA C.C.D.E.,) to help continue releasing new music, which will seemingly be staggered between the new Negro Terror single releases. Negro Terror’s “Shots Fired” and “KKKaren Anthem” singles are both now available on digital streaming platforms. Memphis Hardcore Punk: Negro Terror - Documentary Film is additionally available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, as well as a YouTube upload thanks to the Southern Punk Archive!
