Hollow Profit Confronts Violence and Clings to Hope on Poignant New Single ‘Mortal Men'

Rising hip-hop voice Hollow Profit—the alias of Duluth native Brody Lee Burke—delivers a gut-punch of truth with his stirring new single ‘Mortal Men’, out June 20. The track is a raw, reflective tribute to the fallen—from rap icons to victims of street violence closer to home—and a call for change in a world where death too often arrives young.

Produced by Be Franky and Katsuro (Alberto Salinas), ‘Mortal Men’ weaves gritty beats with haunting lyricism, channeling the urgency of 2Pac and the introspection of Kendrick Lamar. “We are here today and gone tomorrow,” says Hollow Profit. “Let us build a better future with the time we have.”

That future feels fragile. As Burke explains, the inspiration came not just from hip-hop’s tragic roll call—2Pac, Biggie, Pop Smoke, King Von—but also personal loss: his cousin’s brother shot at 19, his wife’s co-worker killed in a quadruple homicide. “It feels like we’re surrounded by death, but I’m not afraid of it,” he says. “I just want a safer world for my kids.”

Raised on Eminem and shaped by To Pimp a Butterfly, Hollow Profit has found his own voice—equal parts pain, poetry, and perseverance. ‘Mortal Men’ doesn’t flinch; it mourns, remembers, and dares to hope. Directed by RoeKanuu (Nicholas Anderson), the music video for ‘Mortal Men’ lands June 27, offering a visual echo of the song’s message: remembrance, resilience, and the will to rise above.