With the current craziness that is the world, it’s unsurprising to see a real shift in rappers’ lyricisms. Last year saw Smoke DZA release George Kush Da Button: Don’t Pass the Blunt to Trump, A Tribe Called Quest dropped The Donald and Lupe Fiasco had Made in the USA. Conscientious rap right now is experiencing a resurgence. When a culture is going through political turmoil, lyrics become more political – but what’s surprising is which artists are using their voices to speak out.
Joey Bada$$ doesn’t sound like the name of an MC who would grapple with political themes, or perpetuate discourse on the ethics of the media. However, when his second studio album All-Amerikkkan Bada$$ hit shelves it was clear that a new member had entered the conscientious rap camp. As the title indicates, there’s a heavy political theme running throughout. The opening line in Good Morning Amerikkka does an admirable job of identifying these ideas, so later songs can expand on them. The writing has shades of Kendrick, or Tupac’slyricism, that is to say it is lyrically heavy-hitting while appealing to mainstream fans. That isn’t always easy to do, just ask Lupe. He found out that commercial hip hop fans like conscientious rap about as much as conscientious rap fans like commercial beats.
Freddie Gibbs’ latest album You Only Live 2wice has proved to be quite the gem. Runtime is short, and is a borderline EP. But it’s better to have quality over quantity. The song order and tone of the tracks sound like they were written to appear in one body of work. This lends it a more defined sound than any of Gibbs’ previous work (Piñata excluded). The lyrics carry the same themes from title track to outro, without relying on a lot of hooks. This culminates in a release that’s more of a bar focused, stripped back approach, which still carries weight despite a short timeframe.
Kendrick Lamar has unleashed a fresh single and a seriously sweet new clip ahead of his new album. If you haven’t had the chance to watch the video for Humble yet, give it a whirl. Directed by Dave Meyers & the little homies, after viewing you’ll see why Lamar is starting to make the case for #1 MC of all time. If Drake and his team of wacky invisible ghosts can’t out-write Lamar, than no one can. His album is set for release on Friday April 14.
Brother Ali has also released a clip for his song Own Light (What Hearts Are For). It’s lyrically a little more humble – pun intended – than Kendrick’s new song. It has Brother Ali pushing his peace vibes with a simplistic backdrop. With the current political situation in the world right now, it’s reassuring to see a dude preaching love over some good music.
Splendour in The Grass is the gift that keeps on giving. The lineup is already gangbusters but now UK rapper Stormzy has been announced for a headlining spot. The current grime king has also announced a few sideshows, including one in Melbourne. He will be playing at The Forum on Thursday July 27.
Like watching hip hop for free? Ding Dong Lounge are doing us all a favour and are hosting Big Swell on Thursday April 13. They’ll have 15 acts for the night, and each is performing for 15 minutes of madness. Kwasi x HFNR, Travy P, I.e., and Cylo are among some of those billed.
