Canadian hip-hop artists Pat Clifton and Tea Fannie team up for a powerful new single that connects historical injustice with the realities of racism today.
Released October 2, “The Night They Took Chloe Cooley” is the second single from Clifton’s seven-track album, I Spoke With Aunt Nancy, which arrives October 23.
The track takes its name from Chloe Cooley, an enslaved Black woman whose resistance to being forcibly sold in 1793 helped inspire legislation limiting slavery in Upper Canada.
Tea Fannie takes center stage for much of the record, delivering a sharp and unapologetic perspective on the challenges Black women continue to face. From performative allyship and workplace discrimination to code-switching and racial stereotypes, she tackles serious subjects with a combination of satire, confidence, and confrontation.
Things take a turn when the beat switches, bringing in gritty hip-hop drums and a verse from Clifton that reimagines Chloe Cooley’s story. Inspired by the alternate-history approach of Inglourious Basterds, Clifton rewrites the ending, imagining Cooley fighting back against her captors and escaping to freedom.
The result is a creative blend of historical storytelling and modern social commentary, giving listeners something to think about beyond the music itself.
Rather than simply revisiting the past, “The Night They Took Chloe Cooley” draws a connection between the struggles of previous generations and the experiences of Black Canadians today. Tea Fannie brings the contemporary perspective, while Clifton offers an imaginative tribute to resistance and empowerment.
“The Night They Took Chloe Cooley” is available now on major streaming platforms. Pat Clifton’s album I Spoke With Aunt Nancy is scheduled for release on October 23, 2026.
