Steve Arrington Shares 'Make a Difference' Single

Funk legend Steve Arrington drops his newest single "Make A Difference" from his upcoming LP, DOWN TO THE LOWEST TERMS: THE SOUL SESSIONS, out 9/18 on Stones Throw Records, marking his first solo album in eleven years.

Produced by DJ Harrison, "Make a Difference" addresses "the current state of things in this country", in Arrington's words. He elaborates: "As far as the racial tensions... so much of it is being promoted by politicians with agendas. And you have movements like Black Lives Matter, and different races coming together to say: 'We're not going back. We're not stepping back into the forties and fifties.' This song speaks to that. The great John Lewis - the message that he left for us all, to understand and move forward, not making a difference just for a few months, but for a lifetime of living."

Stream "Make a Difference" below.

Created with the help of Stones Throw founder Peanut Butter Wolf, Down to the Lowest Terms: The Soul Sessions is a collection of songs made in collaboration with a new generation of young, talented producers. "Make A Difference" is the fourth single from the album, following "Keep Dreamin'" (Prod. Shibo), "Soulful I Need That in My Life" (Prod. Jamma D), and "The Joys of Love" (Prod. Mndsgn & Devin Morrison).

Dayton, Ohio's Arrington got his start behind the drums in the group Slave in the '70s, but he's perhaps most known as the lead singer of their classic '80s funk songs "Watching You" and "Just A Touch Of Love". Going solo in '83 brought on even more success before Steve left the secular music world for almost two decades to devote himself to spiritual work in the ministry in '91. He returned to music in 2009 with Pure Thang and his debut on Stones Throw, Higher (2013) was produced in collaboration with Dam-Funk.

Countless artists draw from Steve's influences, with his samples included in songs by Jay-Z, A Tribe Called Quest, Pharrell, 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, Mariah Carey, and N.W.A. to name a few. Throughout the 2010s, Steve featured on tracks by Snoop, Kool Moe Dee, and fellow living legend George Clinton. Earlier this year, Steve appeared on Thundercat's "Black Qualls", from the massively acclaimed It Is What It Is, even performing the track on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

As we enter a new decade, Arrington only continues to evolve in his musical legacy and will undoubtedly inspire generations of artists to come.

Listen to the new single here:

Photo Credit: Alexis Chabala

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