Anyone present at the 2023 Boston Music Awards can confirm that Clark D’s effervescent gratitude defined the mood of the evening. Throughout his performance at the annual awards ceremony, the Mattapan-raised rapper practically levitated across the Big Night Live stage, buoyed by a palpable, outspoken love for his city and creative community. It was, quite frankly, an unrepeatable moment.
That is, until he dropped “GLAD TO BE ME” this week (April 23).
Clark D’s new single is another outpouring of thankfulness, stamped with a contribution from fellow Bostonian Latrell James. A sustained declaration of joie de vivre, “GLAD TO BE ME” recreates the artist’s onstage attitude at last year’s BMAs without glossing over life’s disheartening hurdles. “I could’ve been dead and gone / I could’ve been stuck in the dirt / Instead this life is a movie / Every day I be learning my worth,” he raps, potentially referring to his recovery from traumatic lung surgery in 2019.
Yet when the refrain hits, Clark D takes the challenge on the chin, accepting his life’s unique highs alongside the hindrances: “All I can say is / I’m glad to be me / I’m glad I ain’t you.”
Tune in below.