Adeboye Adeoye

Adeboye Adeoye is a student at the University of Georgia studying Economics, Sociology, and Music Business. As an avid playlist maker, he always looks for connections and themes across albums and genres. He listens primarily to Hip Hop but enjoys R&B, Neo-Soul, Pop, Afrobeats, Indie, and more beyond that as well.

Year in Review: Our Favorite Albums of 2023—Staff Picks

Posted on by Vinyl Mag, Ethan Barrilleaux, Haley Gilbert, Buket Urgen and Adeboye Adeoye

From one fellow music lover to another, Vinyl Mag staff shares the albums they loved all year long. Take a look below to see what records made us feel, dance, and reflect in 2023. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite.

Adeboye Adeoye, Staff Writer

  1. McKinley Dixon, Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?
  2. Sampha, Lahai
  3. Lord Apex, The Good Fight
  4. Kara Jackson, Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
  5. Leith Ross, To Learn
  6. Noname, Sundial
  7. Jordan Ward, FORWARD
  8. Khamari, A Brief Nirvana
  9. MARCO PLUS, JOINTS
  10. Jamila Woods, Water Made Us

The albums that stick with me most this year tell very personal stories. McKinley Dixon evoked the written works of master author Toni Morrison over jazzy instrumentation to tell the story of contemporary Black life and his place in it. The title track stands out to me because of how simple it can be with repetition yet how layered its lyrics and themes are. Seeing Sampha return to the stage and release a new solo album was a moment of profound joy for me. Now a father and husband, I can hear how the years have aged him for the better, how he worked to overcome pain and grief, and it gives me hope for a brighter future in my own life. On a similar note, Kara Jackson’s record is an especially poignant project. The former National Youth Poet Laureate is bringing a whole new generation’s ears to the Blues while personally using her music as a vessel to navigate a sea of grief. I hope 2024 is filled with stories as personal as these, but I also hope that I don’t limit my ears to a small subsection of the near-boundless collection of stories and perspectives that is modern music.

Ethan Barrilleaux, Staff Writer

  1. Westside Gunn, And Then You Pray For Me
  2. Travis Scott, Utopia
  3. Earl Sweatshirt, The Alchemist, Voir Dire
  4. Zach Bryan, Zach Bryan 
  5. Logic, College Park 
  6. Lil Yachty, Let’s Start Here.
  7. JPEGMAFIA, Danny Brown, SCARING THE HOES
  8. Drake, For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition
  9. Larry June, The Alchemist, The Great Escape
  10. Tyler, The Creator, CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale 

Reflecting on the music released this year, I am reminded that hip-hop is alive and well. However this year, I reached out of my comfort zone with records like Zach Bryan’s self-titled and Lil Yachty’s indie/psychedelic rock Let’s Start Here. Bryan gave me the best I could ask for in an introduction to country music, a soft record with insightful lyrics. And when I first heard about Yachty’s indie album, I was skeptical, but, the intro track “the BLACK seminole” immediately drew me into the great record. However, this year gave me plenty of new favorite hip-hop records too. We got a classic boombap-style record by Westside Gunn. This record was all I could ask for with its grimy drums over eerie instrumentals. The track “KITCHEN LIGHTS” is beautiful and it’s where we get what Griselda Records do best. Since July, Travis Scott’s Utopia has grown on me. The intro track “HYAENA” is already an iconic track during his live shows, and I still cannot stop listening to “MODERN JAM” and “TIL FURTHER NOTICE”. Earl Sweatshirt delivered on his brief yet beautifully produced record Voir Dire with The Alchemist, who had an incredible year. The Alchemist was also featured on Larry June’s The Great Escape and Drake’s For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition, where Drake went 6 for 6 on the additional tracks. It was an experimental yet gratifying year for hip-hop production largely thanks to The Alchemist and Conductor Williams. However, I cannot talk about experimental production without highlighting JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown’s SCARING THE HOES. Tracks like “Garbage Pale Kids” and “Lean Beef Patty” gave such unique productions that I keep coming back to them. Then there was Logic’s College Park, a highly anticipated album for me, and while it did not meet all my expectations, tracks like “Lightsabers” and “Village Slum” made it one of my favorites of the year. Lastly, we did not get an entirely new Tyler, The Creator project this year, but CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale contained enough notable and well-produced tracks such as “WHAT A DAY” and “HEAVEN TO ME” that I had to include it.  

Haley Gilbert, Staff Writer

  1. Liza Anne, Utopian
  2. Chappell Roan, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
  3. Heffner, Super Bowl LXIX
  4. Olivia Rodrigo, GUTS
  5. Zach Bryan, Zach Bryan
  6. Boygenius, the record
  7. Indigo De Souza, All of This Will End
  8. Hozier, Unreal Unearth
  9. Gregory Alan Isakov, Appaloosa Bones
  10. Briston Maroney, Ultrapure

This year marked the end of my college career and the beginning of whatever happens next. Naturally, things did not play out in the way I had planned, but that does not mean that they did not play out in the way they were supposed to. During this in-between phase of life, I have found myself surrounded by lots of music, which tends to be a good sign about how things are going. While listening to Utopian by Liza Anne, I realized how special of a gift it is to be able to listen to them describe change as a beautiful and necessary thing while I am currently terrified at the prospect of restructuring my life; I was able to find comfort where I wasn’t necessarily expecting or looking for it. After finding myself at lots of shows in Athens this past year, there was no way Heffner’s Super Bowl LXIX was not going to make this list; their sound has become interwoven in many of the memories I made during my time in the Classic City. Between boygenius’s the record, Briston Maroney’s Ultrapure, Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, Indigo De Souza’s All of This Will End, and Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS, there was no such thing as a boring car ride this year. The songs on these bodies of work were raw, powerful, and such an experience to listen to. On the late-afternoon-coffeehouse-playlist side of the spectrum, Zach Bryan, Hozier, and Gregory Alan Isakov served as my company on many of the days when I turned to music for a sense of peace and comfort with their respective releases Zach Bryan, Unreal Unearth, and Appaloosa Bones. Isakov’s Appaloosa Bones, an album with themes that largely focus on the importance of leaning on those around you for love and support during times of hardship and struggle, felt like a message I so desperately needed to hear, even if I was initially reluctant to accept it, and Zach Bryan’s self-titled album felt like an important step in his mission with Noah Kahan to assemble the Folk Avengers. As the end of the year is approaching, I genuinely do not know what is next for me, but the artists on this list have helped me not only come to terms with this fact but begin to embrace it. 

Buket Urgen, Editor-in-Chief

  1. Janelle Monáe, The Age of Pleasure
  2. Olivia Rodrigo, GUTS
  3. Victoria Monet, Jaguar II
  4. Troye Sivan, Something to Give Each Other
  5. boygenius, the record
  6. Hozier, Unreal Unearth
  7. Caroline Polacheck, Desire, I Want To Turn Into You
  8. Portugal. The Man, Chris Black Changed My Life
  9. Allison Russell, The Returner
  10. Olivia Dean, Messy

Honorable Mention: Amaarae, Fountain Baby

Per usual, my favorite records of the year lean female-artist-heavy. With a mission to throw myself into more music, this year, I made a point of listening to an album from beginning to end, and repeatedly, until it sank in. (I’ve always had a particularly bad habit of zoning out on listens one through three and not genuinely hearing a record until the fourth or fifth time.) I listened to 55 new albums that came out in 2023, which is much less than I would’ve liked. So, here are the albums that were in heavier rotation than the rest. Without a doubt, 2023 was a great year for sexy club bangers from Janelle Monáe’s and Amaarae’s Afrobeats-inspired progressive R&B to Victoria Monet’s more classic R&B and hip-hop influences to Troye Sivan’s electro-pop and house. Meanwhile, supergroup boygenius found massive success following their first full-length record, growing their cult-like following with an indie rock triumph. The record is a slow burn and I find myself finding something new to appreciate in each listen. Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS was a compelling instant classic, with Rodrigo’s edgy girlhood-core aesthetic brilliantly shining through to reach the repressed teen girl in all of us (or was that just me?). And in moments when I needed to let go and just be, I found myself returning to Caroline Polacheck’s Desire, I Want To Turn Into You or Allison Russell’s The Returner, both soothing in different ways for any rough sailing days in life. This year lacked the blockbuster records of the previous one (see: RENAISSANCE, Midnights, SOS), but it was instead defined by breakthrough moments for long underrated artists or the ones coming into their own with their second full-length project. For anyone out there trying, there was plenty of good music to be found in 2023.

Vinyl Mag Presents: Georgia Theatre Rooftop

Posted on by Adeboye Adeoye

Now, presenting… Vinyl Mag Presents, a show series highlighting Athens’ diverse musical talent.

On Wednesday, October 8th, Vinyl Mag and Zero Mile held a jointly promoted show on the Georgia Theatre Rooftop as the first for the series. The charming and ever-exciting Handholder, Convince the Kid with their layered synth landscapes, and newcomers Roommate performed. With their help, we sold out the Georgia Theatre Rooftop, gathering music fans across Athens to celebrate each band and its music. All were fantastic, drawing in the crowd set after set. Special thanks go to Vinyl Mag contributor Jake Feinberg, for his effort in putting the lineup together and coordinating the show.

Roommate

Courtesy of Nicole Allario

At 8:10, four-piece band Roommate took the stage with a cover of Maroon 5‘s “Sunday Morning.” Incorporating the jazzy elements of the original arrangement, the band made use of a synth organ to put its own flavor into the song. The rest of the set was primarily covers, and members of the crowd were singing along the whole time. These songs included “Valerie,” popularized for Gen Z by Amy Winehouse, “All These Things I’ve Done” by The Killers, “Yellow” by Coldplay, and “Where Is My Mind?” by The Pixies.

They ended the set with an original unreleased song, repeating the lyrics “I’ve got the August blues.” By far the most cohesive song performed by them, the time put into practice was evident. Overall, they made a great impression on the crowd, really working to raise the energy on the rooftop even though it wasn’t near capacity yet.

Convince the Kid

Courtesy of Nicole Allario

In contrast to the previous act, the four-piece synth rock band Convince the Kid performed mostly original songs. They started exactly at 9:00 with a mostly instrumental and exceptionally “synthy” song. With a band like theirs, it feels like a disservice to attempt to capture their essence in words. Instrumentation oftentimes took precedence over lyrics as the nature of the music (and synths) oscillated between being spacey, surfy, chaotic, and subdued. The dynamic between the live drum set and the drum machine was critical to the band’s tension.

Near the end of the set, Charlie Enter, multi-instrumentalist and member of the band Sex Cell, came up to play the lead guitar riff on the band’s cover of Radiohead‘s “Weird Fishes / Arpeggi.” This was a highlight of the whole show, with the band keeping the original character of the song and the synths coming to the forefront at the latter part of the song. In terms of attendance, the crowd approached its peak at this time. I think it is especially fitting that this atmospheric collection of songs was played as the light faded completely from the sky into total darkness.

Handholder

Courtesy of Nicole Allario

While standing in the crowd before they came on, I heard several people and groups say “I’m here for Handholder.” Fortunately, my high expectations were quickly confirmed. Their set started with a polished boy band sound. The dynamic between the guitarist and the rhythm section was the driving force behind such a pleasant introduction to the band’s sound. The performance was soon elevated, however, as keyboardist Alex White brought out a soprano saxophone. He was shredding, particularly during intros and outros, and the crowd responded enthusiastically.

One of Handholder’s major strengths was balancing these drawn-out sax solos and riffs with the catchy and bouncy element present in several of their songs. This music concurrently served as easy listening for those at the back and something you could easily get lost in for those in the heart of the crowd. I was thoroughly impressed with the band’s consistent quality and songwriting ability, and am looking forward to hearing more of them soon.

Review: Recess Party: ‘Paid In Full’

Posted on by Adeboye Adeoye

Recess Party is the brainchild of four current and former University of Georgia students. Blending a wide range of indie, rock, and metal influences, the quartet has now released their debut album, Paid In Full, to the world. Keeping the energy always present at their live performances, this moody project is cohesive while still ensuring that every band member is spotlighted. Upon inquiry, bassist Sam Smith disclosed that “the whole album outside of ‘Foot’ is pretty much [frontman] Riley [Stillwagon]’s perspective and experiences.

The first track, “Foot”, begins with some light strumming and the lyrics “Give me all of you; there’s not much to see / Cause I’ll take everything, when everything’s meant for me” before the rest of the band comes in. Riley asserts that openness and vulnerability are nothing of significance and that a future with an unnamed subject of desire could be destiny. This is one of the strongest performances of instrumentation on the record. Drummer Meghan Stewart and lead guitarist Christian Pullen are especially vibrant with the last minute of the song being purely instrumental. Consistently building up to its peak, the song reaches its emotional and lyrical climax in the last verse:

Don’t you speak for yourself if you’re self-diagnosing?
Well, I promise I’ve got noth.ing worthy of solving
And I finished it once, aren’t my sins worth absolving?
Well, I know you well

Recess Party, Foot

Track three, “Different Bodies / Lights”, is brimming with energy. The raspy nature of Riley’s voice lends itself well to conveying a strong sense of distress. Speaking over the drums in the song, Meghan explains, “The constant busyness/motion of the groove is intended to create a feeling of barely restrained chaos within the song.” Lyrically, the relationship we are hearing about is toxic and incompatible. “Why can’t you spit it out; you wonder why I’ve grown so thin? / Can we just sound this out? Won’t you bless me with your wounds again?” These aren’t the words of someone whose relationship is uplifting them but rather someone who’s been left “suffocating” with “bloodshot eyes”.

“Happy Accidents” continues the through line of love hurting, and placing it fourth on the tracklist was a great decision. As we come to understand more about the nature of the relationship in question, Riley starts coming to terms with his own reality. He cries out to this woman in the chorus, “Unstable / Pick and choose again / Until you / You’re bound by emptiness.” The vocals are breathier and the track is more stripped back as the band builds up to the chorus. The almost three-minute instrumental outro is cinematic with excellent dynamics. The whole band, and most notably Christian, is really shredding here, so having heard it performed live several times, I can confidently say this is one of my favorites.

Track five, “Second Time” is the first to make use of an acoustic guitar. Here, Riley expresses ire towards his lover while still recognizing how much he doesn’t want to let go of what they have.

I don’t owe you; you don’t know my name
But our breaths are held in compromised exchange
I don’t owe you; you don’t know her name
Can you take a second look and maybe

Recess Party, Second Time

However, the words of this chorus soon change in both perspective and emotion.

You don’t owe me; please just say my name
While I’m gasping at each breach under your waves
You don’t owe me; you don’t feel the same
Just take a second look and maybe

Recess Party, Second Time

Yearning to be heard and for his feelings to be reciprocated, he begs to just be recognized; just maybe, his subject of desire will reconsider. The band stated that this song was originally named “Emo Song”, which would have been a clearly fitting title. There is a universal message in the song: unreciprocated love can push us to do things we’d be afraid of saying out loud.

The title track, “Paid In Full,” released as the album’s last single, is the best-written song on the album. The lead guitar and drum parts are rife with tension. Sam’s back-and-forth vocals with Riley on this track are essential. The lyrics “Are you sick? Know I tried / Paid in full. Empty tithe / Won’t you write this record ‘bout me now?” give us a firm answer as to what the song and album title means. Pining for love has left Riley with nothing but fatigue. Having given his full effort, or “paid it in full,” as a religious person offering tithes would, one might expect something in return. Sadly, that isn’t the case here.

Track eight, “Hypocrite,” was the first single the band released for this album, and you can read my review of it and their AthFest performance here.

“Range of Motions” closes out the album strongly. Vocally, it’s my favorite performance on the record, and bassist Sam really gets her opportunity to shine here. Understanding why things aren’t meant to be doesn’t usually stop us from pursuing those we desire, and that’s the story here too. With the context of all the previous songs, the lyrics “I swear I blocked your image out / In patterned, cyclic thinking / Now you’ve gone / I’ve gone” stick out the most. A greater understanding of his situation is the cause of great internal strife for Riley, and though he recognizes that fact, he can’t escape it.

The true highlight of this album for me, though, is the drumming. If the meaning of the song was unclear to me, I could focus on the drums and the meaning would become clearer. Likewise, Christian is almost always playing something that captivates me while Sam’s timing and chemistry with her bandmates make me envious. The album structure delivers a complete story, so I have to commend the band on the choices made regarding sequencing. These songs may well be a disconnected string of interactions with women, or they could be a collection of experiences between two people as I understood them to be. Regardless, they’re relatable, layered, and emblematic of the idea that love hurts.

Artists Who Shined at AthFest 2023

Posted on by Adeboye Adeoye

From Friday, June 23 to Sunday, June 25, the Athens community came together to enjoy local artists for Athfest 2023. This year commemorated 25 years of the festival and brought together acts of all generations and genres. In celebration of such a fun and successful event, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite artists who I saw this past weekend.

Trvy

Courtesy of Salathiel Saldana

2023 Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year Award Recipient and Athens Hip Hop Titan Trvy took the stage Saturday evening at Livewire. He rapped with the aid of a backing band, collectively known as Trvy & The Enemy. Originally formed for a one-off Tiny Desk-style performance, the band soon realized the chemistry and potential they had, and thus continued to perform and make music together. A self-described mix of trap, psychedelic rock, world music, and funk, this boundary-pushing quartet put out their debut self-titled debut just a few days before AthFest began.

My favorite track off the EP is legend, in which he repeats the mantra “gotta die legend.” Built on top of a speedy bassline, the track feels like it’s about to bubble over at any moment but instead closes out with a heavy instrumental. This part especially reminds me of the climax of an action film, like a shootout through a building or a highway car chase. Trvy, as always, comes with the bars. His first verse contains my favorite lyrics from the song.

It can only go one way
You can only grow from the pain
Least for myself
Pour from my cup till my cup runneth over
And life just gon spill in my lap
Still keep an eye for the circling vultures
Who just wanna know how it fell in my lap

Trvy & The Enemy, legend

Recess Party

Courtesy/ Garrett Cardoso

On the Georgia Theatre Rooftop at 1:00 AM, I saw indie rock band Recess Party perform. Despite the late start time, it was one of the most energetic sets I attended. They performed tracks from their upcoming album Paid In Full and my personal favorite song of theirs, “Change of Pace.” Bassist Sam Smith closed out the night with a rendition of Metric classic “Black Sheep.” In a recent interview, the band members spoke about spending time refining their sound and listed off some of their influences. Genre-wise they, listed sixties & psychedelic rock, singer-songwriter, hardcore, industrial, and nu-metal. They specifically named drummer Ginger Baker, guitarists Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Chris Buck, and singer-songwriters Elliot Smith and Phoebe Bridgers. Some of their overall band influences are Turnstile, Author & Punisher, Tool, System of a Down, Average White Band, and Radiohead.

When asked about their experience at AthFest, the band responded,

Well, it was our first AthFest, but the stage was familiar and so was the crowd. It feels really special to have people that will stay after your set to talk. We really are playing to our friends and we’re so pleasantly surprised to see that many familiar faces so late at night.

Sam Smith, Recess Party

The band’s performance started just over 24 hours after the release of their latest single, “Hypocrite.” Upbeat and angsty, the song narrates an unfortunate yet inevitable life experience. In my favorite vocal moment of the song, frontman Riley Stillwagon purposefully strains his voice singing about an inevitable life experience. “Hypocrite / Just get over it / One day in your dreams enough’s enough.” Beyond just the singing though, I find myself attracted to a new moment or section of the song on each listen, whether that be the guitar lick at 1:07, the background vocals at 1:51, or the moment when the whole band drops out at 2:37.

Immaterial Possession

Courtesy/ Immaterial Possession

Standing outside of Flicker Theatre & Bar on Friday evening, a friend exalted Immaterial Possession as one of the best two bands in Athens. Their set began at 10PM and was fitting, considering the venue’s homey atmosphere. The band’s eclectic sound was matched by their gothic iconography. Immaterial Possession is beautifully anachronistic. Medieval yet modern, they combine punk-rooted bass, Greek and Spanish musical scales, and more, to bring together a truly unique, yet cohesive sound. Multi-instrumentalist Kiran Fernandes was switching instruments in nearly every song, notably playing the congas, saxophone, clarinet, and keys, guitar, bass, and more. Their sophomore album, Mercy of the Crane Folk, was released early in May of this year.

I reached out to the band about how the performance went. Frontman-bassist Cooper Holmes responded,

The performance went well. It was fun. If it was less chaotic, it would have been nice to dial in some lighting design more. The sound wasn’t perfect, but the energy was good and that’s what mostly matters to me.

Cooper Holmes, Immaterial Possession

My favorite track from their album is the eponymous and eerie “Mercy of the Crane Folk.” In the band’s own words, the song is a “Sisyphean tale of feeding a persuasive ghost that never gets full,” with a music video depicting a “magical ritual gone awry.” Sisyphus is a figure from Greek myth, punished by Hades for cheating death twice. In the same way that he endlessly rolls a bolder up a hill, the surfy bass line continues on and on. It grounds this enchanting track, while a medley of other sounds and instruments is layered on top. Holmes and Madeline Polites, on bass and guitar respectively, share vocal duties. The music video, however, only features Holmes and Fernandes.

Clover County

Courtesy/ Clover County

At 1:40 on Saturday afternoon, singer-songwriter Clover County began her performance at the Wicked Weed Stage. I sadly missed Clover County’s set but was able to get some insight into how it went from the artist herself.

Just last year, I was standing outside The 40Watt watching artists perform on the main stage with no expectation for myself to be up there the following year. This year, I found myself overwhelmed with friends and musicians who were ready to help me make AthFest special. My AthFest band consisted of Cannon Rogers, Wim Tapley, and Matt Martin. They’ve all played the fest in the past and made it really easy to feel cool and confident going into things. The most special thing to me was seeing so many familiar faces in the huge crowd on Washington St. I could name them and give you a little bio about most of the amazing locals who help keep this city so magical. I wouldn’t trade my first experience at AthFest for anything and I hope to be back next year to share even more music!

Clover County

Together in matching “Clover County” shirts, the four performed a medley of her own original songs. This performance coincided with the release day of her debut single, “Outlaw.” The aforementioned Matt Martin mixed, mastered, and played on the track. An especially strong vocal performance, the song’s premise is explained in the chorus: “It should be a crime to love him this much / And I’m an outlaw inside my own dreams.” These are words reserved for someone who completes you. Nestled between indie folk and Americana, this is an intimate love poem written about “a desert-driting, whiskey-sipping man with turquoise eyes” who’s walking “through hell and back.” Thematically, I’m reminded of Kacey Musgrave’s “good wife.” This type of pure, fulfilling love makes this song antithetical to a track like “Oh Daddy” by Fleetwood Mac.

Kxng Blanco

Courtesy/ VolumesHipHop

Athens-raised Hip Hop artist Kxng Blanco also performed at Livewire on Saturday evening, taking the stage around 11 PM. This was his first performance following the early June release of his latest album, Baby Hefner. Rapping over both Jersey Club and more Atlanta-style “rage” beats, this set was filled with energy, dancing, and smiles all around. By virtue of his stage presence and crowd engagement, it’s evident that this 2x Athens Hip Hop Award winner is a seasoned performer. Along with singles and features, Kxng Blanco has been putting out at least one full-length album a year since 2018.

Kxng Blanco himself added, “the show is a memory that I won’t forget no time soon. Really felt like God gave me the moment as a ‘keep going, you doing the right thing’ type of ordeal”.
My favorite track from the aforementioned Baby Hefner is “INeed2KnoToo,” a duet with R&B artist Convict Julie. A simple guitar melody, distant background vocals, and some well-placed kicks come together to make this rap ballad. Speaking to a lover, Kxng Blanco asserts, “I need to know what’s on your mind / Do you think bout me when we not together?” The song reminds me of “Playing Games” by Summer Walker and Bryson Tiller along with many other recent male-female Rap-R/B collaborations.

Artists to Watch: Wakai

Posted on by Adeboye Adeoye

While scrolling on TikTok in the spring of 2022, I stumbled across the song “Silhouette” by Wakai (feat. MARCO PLUS), which I immediately saved. The witty lyricsism and dynamic flows over smooth, dreamy production inspired me to listen to his album, To a Dark Boy, in its entirety. Wakai’s music is vibrant yet subdued, and listening to him challenges me to look within. In pursuit of more insight on an artist I enjoy so much, Wakai and I had a conversation to discuss his journey and relationship with music.

VM: Can you tell us about yourself? How did you start playing and performing music? Why did you decide to pursue music?

W: I’m Wakai, a visual storyteller from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

I received a drum set when I was three years old due to me always doing rhythmic things around the house to the point my parents had to supply me something to harness to my craft. My father introduced me to one of his close friends who happened to be a rapper around the time I was ten and he allowed me to do my first shows at a young age, as well as bringing me to the studio which I am forever grateful for. There’s probably footage of those shows somewhere. 

I felt the need of pursuing music as a real calling from within. I noticed a lot of my classmates from highschool and even some I met while I was briefly in college found themselves at a crossroads at what their real purpose was. For me even if I had no notoriety or appeal I would make music for the essence of healing and the power it gives me when I channel the thoughts of my ancestors and the stories I’ve suppressed throughout my life, music allows me to cleanse.

Are there any artistic influences and/or contemporaries that you’d like to highlight? Any local acts from Baton Rouge/Louisiana?

Being from the south the first two people to really have a significant impact on me were my childhood years of hearing André 3000 from Outkast and me never forgetting the car ride freshman year when a friend played “Modest” by Isaiah Rashad. It forever changed my life. Of course I can recall where I was the first time I heard “Sherane [a.k.a. Master Splinter’s Daughter]” by Kendrick Lamar, but those two men specifically taught me how to embrace my cadence being from the south and adding the melodic element to it. Nothing is wrong making music that is conversational, and for them I am thankful. My creative hub in Baton Rouge blossomed the most from my collective Col-Der-Sac consisting of members: Ronday, Douno, JoshSimmons, V!lla, and OshaBlueye. Those guys formed a brotherhood within our friendship to lean on each other throughout our creative endeavors. No idea was too big and no thought was too small with those guys. All of them are extremely talented.

What does your creative process look like? Is writing songs something that grounds you?

I tend to love making music in solitude if i’m tracking vocals down at my house, but I really love having jam sessions with different musicians and finding a groove within that and creating a song from it. My new album is an extension of creations I always wanted to externalize but never knew how to get the sonic backdrop to fully encapsulate it.  Music will forever ground you, especially when you have the opportunity of aligning with other souls who may be experiencing the same problems you run across but don’t know how to vocalize the fear or frustration of it.

You’ve said previously that you named your album “To A Dark Boy” because you are a light regardless of how others perceive you. Can you speak more to that?

When you look up Webster’s term for the word ‘Dark’ you see ‘a place or time with little or no light’. That definition struck me as a recurring theme in my life. Not only having a darker complexion but also the amount of rain that happens in my state leaves some seasons visually dark. The word is inescapable. But empowerment came from this to me, I learned the light within myself could carry me through any darkness around me. I personally find a layer of trauma and angst within Louisiana due to the covert and overt racism that bubbles in it. My great grandfathers would have to walk with their head down if someone of white complexion walked on the sidewalk. Hearing these stories sparked a pride in not only my blackness and the freedoms they weren’t able to have, but my eternal gratitude to be every dream they could not achieve, and every hope they once yearned for.

You were on the Texas leg of MAVI’s most recent tour, and his album “Let the Sun Talk” is thematically similar to yours. Do you find yourself being directly influenced by other artists when making music or do you see connections to others after you’re done making a song/project?

I find that my peers are more so friends to me creatively. And being that MAVI is from Charlotte I assume we grew up listening to the same artists our parents played. The connections are inseparable due to the collective consciousness people from the south tend to inherit from each other. I personally draw more inspiration from the artists my parents played when they were my age, than my peers. I do love the music that is coming out from my era though, especially now. I just feel my albums are more so visual storylines that began through my personal upbringing, and not the upbringing of my musical peers.

Do you have specific goals you’d like to reach before the end of the year, whether that be concerning song output, fanbase growth, performances, or something else?

All the above honestly, but at the center of my hopes I want to become a better man. Once I become that I can be the truest form of an artist I can be. I have some shows planned that I’m excited for, and also the planning of my first tour.

Can you tell us anything about upcoming EPs/albums/projects?

I have a new album coming up this summer. It’s my second album and one I’m the most amped about, it took 23 years to make this project and the music reflects that.

What’s your favorite thing about performing?

The look in peoples eyes when you say words that strike a nerve within them. There is no better feeling then being on the same frequency as someone and you become intertwined through the vocal projections.

What song(s) of yours would you recommend a new fan to start off with?

I would say the first 3 songs to hear from me are “Starter Jacket” , “Silhouette” and “Collect Calls”. I think they all show the depth of my style and also sonic components of my life and spiritual journey.

You’ve built an impressive list of collaborators already. Who are some artists, musicians, or producers that you’d like to work with in the near future?

I would love to create with Smino, Erykah Badu, Jordan Ward, and Jean Deaux. And as far as producers Knxwledge, Pharrell, Emil, and Timbaland.

What has been most successful in growing your fanbase? Performances? Social media? Collaborations?

Traveling by far. Nothing beats going across the country and having tangible connections with people that transcend a phone screen.

Check out Wakai‘s most recent single “Frustrated” on all streaming platforms.

Review: Khamari: ‘A Brief Nirvana’

Posted on by Adeboye Adeoye

Up-and-coming R&B singer Khamari released his debut album, A Brief Nirvana, on May 26, 2023. The album is littered with recognizable samples, interpolations, and strikingly personal lyrics. His voice and strong songwriting are reminiscent of a Channel Orange-era Frank Ocean. He has writing credits on every track and production credits on all but the last, making this a distinctly personal album. Prominent (soul) samples, bittersweet lyrics, and heavy personal experiences are common threads that bring everything together but above all this is a journey into Khamari’s experience with growth and isolation.

Built on top of a sample of Bill Withers‘ classic track, “Use Me”, the opening track “Wax Poetic” is oxymoronic. The title phrase is often used to describe writing that is excessively verbose and flowery. Khamari, however, flips this notion on its head. He sings, “Wish that I could wax poetic / Paint a Picasso with these words like Kendrick.” He also interpolates the chorus from “Sixteen” by Rick Ross and André 3000 where André sings “Sixteen ain’t enough”. 16 bars is the standard length of a rap verse. By invoking André and Kendrick in this way, two of Hip Hop’s greatest and most wordy lyricists, he is telling the listener that he has a lot to say on this record and we need to be ready to hear him.

The third track, “Drifting”, uses a sample that rap fans may recognize from “New Day” by Kanye West and Jay-Z. That sample is “Feeling Good” by the legendary Nina Simone. On that song, she joyfully sings about finding freedom while on Khamari’s track, he sings about escapism, substance, and addiction. The album title is actually mentioned in the chorus: “Visions of a brief nirvana / Smoking way more than I should / Couple sips had more than I would.” Inspired by the monotony of peak COVID times, “Visions of a brief nirvana” describes Khamari finding happiness and letting go of his self-destructive behaviors. The sample, a poignant but soft string section, a simple drum beat, and a prominent piano come together to create a beautiful instrumental. This song evokes feelings of longing and fragility, but most importantly it is hopeful.

“A Sacred Place”, is the fifth and saddest track on the album. Speaking on a failing relationship, Khamari starts the song with, “What if I can’t make a believer out of you / What if it’s easier to change my point of view?” His worries have turned into resignation and bargaining. He asks himself if letting go of this love is worth letting go of his own opinions and way of being. The lyrics “How fickle a mental state / Set fire to a sacred place” encapsulate the song as a whole. This relationship wasn’t built on solid ground, but it was still special and sacred, and coming to terms with this just isn’t an easy process. Concerning both structure and instrumentation, this is a simple song, making use of two distinct short verses, strings, and a piano. The simplicity concerning the instrumentation and structure of the song is juxtaposed by the layered nature of its lyrics. All things considered, this track reminds me of Faye Webster songs like “Hurts Me Too” and “I Know You”.

The seventh track, “Changing Yourself (Gil’s Interlude)” is a ten-second sample of poet, spoken word performer, and Hip Hop progenitor Gil-Scott Heron.

Of course you want to change yourself for the better
You want to make yourself
A better father
A better son
A better brother
You need the help of those that you’re trying to improve for

Gil Scott-Heron, Changing Yourself (Gil’s Interlude)

This short segment helps tie together the album narratively. As he subtly discusses in the third track, Khamari is in pursuit of bettering himself. This sample asserts that Khamari needs to seek the help of more than just himself to improve.

Continuing with his streak of prominent sample usage, the eighth and tenth tracks each sample songs that have been sampled more than 50 times. “Right My Wrongs” samples “Didn’t I” by Darondo and “On My Way” samples Al Green‘s “Love and Happiness.”

“These Four Walls”, track nine, is a song expressly about isolation. Khamari also recorded A COLORS SHOW version that was released just over a week after the album. In Khamari’s own words, “It kind of has undertones of ‘Diamonds From Sierra Leone’ by Kanye West, where I’m making peace with what I have, and I’m happy because at least I know this is guaranteed.” The song’s chorus ends with “I’ve got these four walls / Even when you don’t call.” Despite struggling after having moved to Los Angeles, he is able to find solace in the things that he does have, like the four walls that he calls home. Sonically, Khamari goes higher up his register and softly stacks vocal harmonies, creating one of my favorite refrains on the whole project.

The album finishes out with “Requiem.” A requiem is a piece of music written in remembrance of someone or something. Over the course of the album, Khamari has learned about himself and grown accordingly. “Not guaranteed a second chance / Thank God I’m waking up / Please don’t play my requiem.” Still struggling to “escape ephemeral darkness,” he hasn’t finished growing yet. His pain is fading and he feels himself coming back to life, so he exclaims that he isn’t ready to die, to have his story finished, to fade away. He doesn’t want to “play his requiem” because there is more for him to do and more for him to be remembered by. Again, he uses his upper register, in what I feel is the most beautiful song on this record. It feels cinematic. He has awoken and come to terms with his isolation. And with this renewed spirit, he feels free in the fact that he has the rest of his story to write.

Review: MAVI: ‘Let the Sun Talk’

Posted on by Adeboye Adeoye

An undergraduate student at Howard University at the time, Charlotte-born rapper MAVI released his 2019 album Let the Sun Talk just a week after his twentieth birthday. He is considered by many to make abstract hip-hop. It’s a hard-to-define sub-genre but some shared qualities amongst its artists, songs, and projects are pushing sonic boundaries, emphasizing the use of symbolism and metaphors rather than straightforward lyrics, and on some level being “weird” and/or experimental.

He explained in a 2019 tweet that “Let the sun talk is 3 movements 4 songs each. like a clock. or sundial.” Some hold that MAVI himself is the sun, telling those close to him that they need to pay attention to his words, and others hold that the sun is his own mental state, and this album is him addressing his problems. In his own words, he explains the album as being “about writing your own laws, creating your own cosmology, adapting the laws of physics to your reality, and being the center of your universe.”

A skillful mix of poem and prose, the influence of Earl Sweatshirt is evident but by no means is it derivative. In fact, many fans were introduced to MAVI on Earl’s 2019 FEET OF CLAY EP, a project that came out just two weeks after MAVI’s own album. He cites other artists like Noname, MF Doom, Stevie Wonder, Project Pat, and Thelonious Monk as influences along with rocksteady, salsa, gospel, soul, and reggae music.

The opening track, “Terms & Conditions,” begins with a speech explaining what it is “to be pro-black.” There are three tenants: the relentless pursuit of tangible assets to build and maintain black communities, the “cultivation of a culture that reinforces a unified vision of black well-being and continuous advancement”, and the use of one’s own voice to share with their community ideals such as understanding, freedom, equality, love, and happiness. A jazzy instrumental is soon introduced and the song switches to a narrative on the origin of the sun and the moon in the sky that draws largely from an Efik folktale.

Track four, “Self Love” is a fan favorite. When I attended MAVI’s “Laughing So Hard, It Hurts” Tour in April of 2023, the entire crowd sang this song together at the end of the show. A sample from Sonia Ross‘ 1969 track “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” is used in the chorus and bridge with the repetition of “just because I love you.” So many of the messages core to this album are illustrated in this one song. “The moral of my story is I’m impure / The horror in my story is I’ve been through it and I still do it / And my pencil is in earnest.” It’s a deeply emotional song, seeing MAVI detail his relationship with marijuana and his internal struggles. He recounts how his mom has noticed how often he’s “gone” while at home and her love won’t allow him to keep poisoning himself like this any longer. His list of sins is so long that feels unworthy of even talking to God. The song climaxes in the third verse, sounding much more distressed than the rest of the song. Referencing the album title, he raps “I self-aggrandized in the past / But now the sun talking.” I think he means that in the process of making this album, he has begun to shed his arrogance.

We sprouting, now we plant seeds
You plant love, love will grow
You plant fear, fear will grow
If you planted me, then me would grow
But I was branded negro

MAVI, Self Love

He metaphorically explains that external labels hinder the fulfillment of his potential as a black man. He looks beyond just his own reality though, rapping “And I offer free smoke to any nigga behind a #MeToo / ‘Cause to my niggas, we ain’t free until she free, too.” He is deeply angered by the culture of rampant sexual abuse and harassment of women and recognizes that the black community won’t truly be free until its women are free from this as well.

“Sense”, the eighth track, is my personal favorite and was actually produced by Earl Sweatshirt. Just barely over a minute long, this was the album’s lone single. He describes himself as “Breathing out of love for respiration” rather than just living because he enjoys it. The majority of lines on this song begin with “I”, with MAVI using this track as an opportunity to tell listeners what he thinks about himself. Alluding to his words on the #MeToo Movement in “Self Love” he raps, “I give a lot of thought to what my daughters look like free, chainless.” In a line that is both boastful and truthful he poses and answers the question, “What kinds of songs you make? I make the kind you gotta read, baby.” MAVI, like his influences, makes lyrically dense music, whose full value can be better attained by reading the lyrics.

This album is so special to me on a personal level. This level of candid vulnerability from a fellow black man, especially one who is about the same age as I am, is something that I value deeply. Mavi is inspired by a mix of ideals and people: experimental jazz composer and poet Sun-Ra, legendary Black author Toni Morrison, cartoons, the Five-Percent Nation (whose Supreme Alphabet you may be familiar with by virtue of rappers RZA and GZA and singer SZA), and so much more. Searching for meaning and purpose in his own life, he is someone that draws from things all around him. He accepts his faults and recognizes his pain, but he still seeks to grow as a plant does toward the sun.

Show Review: Earthday Everyday 2023

Posted on by Adeboye Adeoye and Jacob Feinberg

On April 22, Afterglo held its second annual Earthday Everyday music festival at Live Wire Athens. It was a busy day in Athens, coinciding with Normaltown Music Festival, Highlight Athens, and Athens Twilight Criterium. Starting at 2 p.m., a multi-genre lineup of artists took to the outside stages, with attention turning to the inside stage at 9 p.m., as the party turned into a late-night rave with the Nightshade Family. We’ve decided to highlight some of our favorite acts from this wonderful day.

We arrived just in time to hear Rhymes with Japan and Selah Samarah. The two very different styles of these acts set the tone for the rest of the festival. Rhymes with Japan was a DJ, drummer, and rapper trio that put together a fun and lively performance, even taking some time to dance with members of the crowd. On the other hand, artist Selah Samarah, sang several original folk songs, backed by guitar, mandolin, endingidi, and cajón,

Commune, shot by Ashley Nguyen. @ashleynguyennn_

Punk band Commune took to the stage after several openers and brought the energy. The moment they began playing I felt the audience inch forward and from that point forward the moshing didn’t stop. They were really engaging with the crowd too, cracking jokes and offering context for some of their songs. One of my favorite moments was when they played their song about property, shouting in unison “Property isn’t real!” (which is pretty punk in my opinion). They also played a new song, “Fallin Down,” which rocked, and announced it would be releasing soon with a new music video. We definitely recommend checking them out and be sure to keep an eye out for their upcoming content!

Cardynal, shot by Ashley Nguyen. @ashleynguyennn_

5:00 p.m. was a hot time-slot because the upper stage saw the talented rapper Cardynal perform. They were a fan favorite, drawing the biggest crowd at that stage. Early in their set, the mood was set, as Cardynal paused their set to jump into the crowd and dance. A favorite song was “Mango,” where their lyricism and personality shined. They weren’t afraid to stray from rap, performing some R&B jams and showing off their vocal ability. The local rap scene is full of talent, and Cardynal is the perfect example. They had a great set!

Convince the Kid, a self-described “four-piece synth-rock band out of Athens” took the 9dk stage at 7:00 p.m. Ranging from spacey synths that make you feel like the world is ending to bass-heavy tracks that carried a lot more weight, the band held the audience attention well. A highlight for me was when frontman Trevor Thrift made use of a smaller drum kit and drum pads as drummer Vic Fisher banged away. Overall, the band had a lot of energy and a good understanding of song structure and tension, often having several members drop out to highlight a single instrument before reintroducing everyone with a bang.

Trvy & The Enemy were next up on the 9dk stage and had by far the most crowd participation of the entire festival. Rock instrumentation with rapping is usually best when performed live, and this was confirmation of that. Rapper Trvy, the recent Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year Award winner, combined infectious energy with technical expertise to captivate the crowd. The performance ebbed and flowed from smooth and introspective to loud and heavy to jazzy and uptempo. “Gotta die a legend” and “Mama couldn’t you tell me where to go / I’m so sick and tired of being alone” were the lyrics that stuck most with us, out of both repetition and poignancy at that moment. Without a doubt, you should check out Trvy’s solo work and his work with The Enemy.

The outside stages wrapped up with Cassie Chantel, who we were impressed by. Before she even began, I was a fan, as she got the crowd hyped with needle drops ranging from Hiatus Kaiyote to Ice Spice. Her energy was infectious and she was a great performer. A favorite moment was when she played her song “Tennis,” causing the crowd to quickly realize why there had been so many rackets on the ground. It was pretty cool seeing everyone waving them in the air with the song’s chorus. She ended her set with a merch giveaway, earning her even more fans, if everyone wasn’t already. 

Izzy, shot by Ashley Nguyen. @ashleynguyennn_

As it turned to night, the crowd turned inside for a rave by Athens’ own Nightshade Family. They had a raised stage with stunning visuals, bringing life to the talented DJ’s music. From 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Izzy, Karezza, Mystic Grizzly, Chief Kaya, and King Shotta took over, each with their own individual styles and feeling. From flips of popular songs to complicated, electronic buildups, not a single moment failed to impress us.

In the spirit of Earthday, local University of Georgia student Christian Aldama instructed festivalgoers on how to garden, going as far as to distribute ready-to-be-planted seeds to anyone who wanted them. The also event made sure to highlight and venerate Tortuguita, an environmental activist who was killed by police in protest of Cop City, a proposed Atlanta Police Department base that would see serious destruction done to the Weelaunee Forest.

The 2023 Earthday Everyday festival encapsulated some of the many things that make Athens special. Students, locals, and families alike all came out to enjoy music together. Vendors sold handmade rings, confectioneries, CBD- and THC-based products, and more. It was truly a wonderful day of music, cool outifts, and even better people. Thanks again to Afterglo for putting on such a fun festival, and please take the time and check out some great artists!

Review: UGA MBUS Students: 2023 Spring Releases

Posted on by Adeboye Adeoye

As a part of the University of Georgia’s Music Business Certificate Program, I am lucky enough to be classmates with a host of musicians and performers. So here, I want to highlight a few recent releases from my talented classmates.

Bea Porges is a singer-songwriter with a penchant for layered, relatable lyrics. Backed by fellow classmate Cannon Rogers on a warm but striking steel guitar, she released her new single “all day long” on March 24. A nice subtle bassline and simple drum pattern give the song a soft, jazzy feel. The true highlight of the track is Bea’s voice. Her vocal performance brings so much character and passion into a song that is otherwise muted. At 0:46 and 2:18 and specifically, her vocal slides pleasantly catch my ears and provide a necessary structural deviation. It’s a flowery track that delves into the all-too-common feeling of longing. The mellow ache of missing someone you love and wanting to share time with them. “Space and time and feeling fine and our shared sentiments,” are the words Bea herself uses to describe this situation. In her refrain she sings, “All day long, all day long I think about loving / And all day long all day long he thinks about nothing.” Love holds so much power over us all. But unfortunately she is a cruel mistress, and so often we have love for those who may not recognize and reciprocate its presence.

Ethan Faulkner, under artist name Balistix, and fellow beatboxer DEN, released collaboration “Love Love Love” on March 31. On this EDM track, both artists display a high level of vocal control and beatbox mastery. Kicks, claps, and a range of high and low synth-like sounds are reproduced to form the beat, as the pair take turns singing. In Balistix’s own words, “everything in the song was made only with the human mouth.” It feels so effortless, but it’s clear that both of these men have acquired their skills by spending their days and nights toiling over and honing their craft. Opening with “You were so hard to find / It wasn’t easy / But now that I found you / My life’s completed” is how this “somebody to love” is presented to us listeners. At 2:19, a bouncy breakdown provides an added element of variation, and this track would feel hollow without it. This fun, danceable track would do very well at energizing the crowd at an EDM show or club. Self-proclaimed “haters” of the genre could find significant value in this as well.

Tattoo Logic, a newly-formed five-member funk-punk band, released “Ghost of a Chance” on March 31. The track opens with some cymbal taps and a simple guitar riff and then it booms! Think “Misery Business” by Paramore, “Boys Don’t Cry” by The Cure, or “Helena” by My Chemical Romance. “As soon as I kicked the bucket / It was easier to forget than a Classic City obituary” starts the song off on a strong note. Silence and rests are as much a part of this song as the instruments and vocals are. The instrumental oscillates between choppy, staccato notes played in unison by the guitarists and a much wackier beat that feels almost like a cartoon chase scene. The chorus goes:

It’s not a ghost of a chance, or a whisper of faith
You thought you were close but you were locked in a race
It’s a haunted dance, how it drifted away
And how we say… It’s not a ghost of a chance

Tattoo Logic, Ghost of a Chance

Unexpectedly, the first chorus is followed by the entrance of metallic synths. It fits perfectly, giving an eerie, off-putting edge to the song. The bridge, while still teeming with nervous excitement, is more orchestral in nature. An especially strong part of the song is the head voice and slides employed by the lead female vocalist. This song reminds me of a scene in a movie; The somewhat outcast but loveably goofy and confident main character asserting themself as the looming conflict is just ready to boil over.

Whether it is passive or active, casual or impassioned, live music forms a basis of culture and community across the globe. If you can, go support these local young artists who help form this basis in Athens, Georgia. Who knows, maybe you’ll even be inspired to check out a show!

Review: Common: “Be”

Posted on by Adeboye Adeoye

Be. It’s a simple message, a direct command. And, it also happens to be the title of Chicago rapper Common‘s 2005 album: Be.

Common explained the title of his album in a 2005 interview, stating:

The album is entitled BE because the hardest thing to do is to be yourself, although many think it’s the easiest it’s really not. Being is just to exist, you don’t have to try hard to do anything because God gave us each an individual and unique characteristic that is the core of who we are. So BE is just about that, being whoever you are, where ever you are.

AllHipHop, 2005

Track six, “Love Is…”, and the closing track, “It’s Your World (Part 1 & 2)”, are produced by the legendary J. Dilla while the other nine tracks are produced by fellow Chicagoan Kanye West. Today, both men are considered masters of the art of sampling and two of the best producers of all time. At the time of its release, Common was a member of West’s label GOOD Music, and the pair were already close friends after having met nearly a decade earlier in Chicago. Dilla and Common also shared a close relationship as they were both at one point members of the Soulquarians, an informal and experimental Black music collective active around the turn of the 21st century. This highly-influential group counted now-illustrious creatives like Questlove, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, and D’Angelo among its ranks.

Samples of classic soul records coalesce with a myriad of layered rhyme schemes as Common and guests skillfully navigate a wide variety of topics and narratives to make this album a whole that is much greater than the sum of its parts.

The host of features includes then-labelmates John Legend and Kanye West; Hip Hop progenitors The Last Poets; comedian Dave Chapelle; fellow Soulquarian Bilal; singer-songwriter-guitarist John Mayer; and several others who went uncredited.

For so many, myself included, this album inspires you to listen to and think about the world around you. Common is simply talking about his own experiences: the troubles faced in the hoods of Chicago, the waning of youthful glee, the bittersweet dichotomy of love, the unrivaled confidence he has in his rapping ability, the discrimination of African Americans in American society, the battle between monetary success and being a voice for his community. He makes his personal perspectives seem relatable and general, a quality of the most capable rappers and songwriters.

Over the course of these 11 tracks, he verbosely navigates many themes and ideas in a way that only a master of his craft could do. Each of these songs deserves a review in its own right. It almost feels like an injustice to condense the words and teachings of a seasoned veteran like Common into just a few paragraphs. So instead, I’ve highlighted some of my favorite bars and moments throughout the album, and I hope that these inspire you to listen as Common has inspired me to do the same.

The beat of “Be (Intro)” is one of my favorite musical moments ever. It slowly builds over the first minute of the song and comes together beautifully. At first, it’s just a bass slowly being plucked, then the plucking gets faster, a synth begins playing, and then the keys come in. More strings and drums make the beat finally feel whole as Common begins rapping shortly thereafter. In a strikingly political line, he asserts: “Bush pushing lies, killers immortalized / We got arms but won’t reach for the skies.”

Common has a lot to discuss on women and that’s evident on “Faithful”. He opens the track with a series of questions.

I was rolling around, in my mind it occurred
What if God was a her?
Would I treat her the same? Would I still be running game on her?
In what type of ways would I want her?
Would I want her for her mind or her heavenly body?

Common, Faithful

A vocal sample from Marvin Gaye‘s “God Is Love” backs “Love Is…”. It’s a raw track, something I listen to on a dark day when I need to get in better spirits. Common raps “Everybody loves sun, why do I attract shade / Heard of love of money, but compassion it pays.” These lines remind me of Nas‘ legendary track “The World Is Yours”, where he declares, “I need a new nigga for this black cloud to follow / Cause while it’s over me it’s too dark to see tomorrow.”

Chi-City is a braggadocio track that serves as both an homage to Chicago and a larger discussion of the role of rap in the Black community. Common’s opening line, “I rap with the passion of Christ, nigga cross me” is a perfectly blunt way to begin before Common starts going after “whack” rappers. On the other hand, Common holds his fellow Chicago MCs in high esteem, rapping, “They ask me where hip hop is going, it’s Chicagoan / Poetry’s in motion like a picture now showing.”

On “Real People”, Common speaks on the racism and discrimination that Black Americans face. He invokes key Black Rastari figures, asking “I wonder if the spirits of Bob Marley and Haile Selassie / Watch me as the cops be tryna pop and lock me?”

The second part of the last track, “It’s Your World (Part 1 & 2)”, is the culmination of the album. Common’s father Lonnie Lynn, or “Pops” delivers a spoken word outro in which he lists qualities, people, careers, emotions, and states of being that we can “be”. It’s an understated end to Common’s magnum opus. It’s cyclical in a way. Be, we do it always, unfailingly, and yet there isn’t really a start or end in the truest sense of those words. And on that note, I’ll close this off in the same way that Pops does, with a two-word instruction that I think we all can live by: “Be… eternal.”