This year we have been blessed with art made by beautiful melanated brethren from across the globe. They Cloned Tyrone, featuring a rendition of the iconic Erykah Badu's "Tyrone"; Beyonce's Reinaissance tour taking the nation by storm; the release of Queen Charlotte's Bridgerton spinoff and much, much more.
Now I ain't no artist - as much as I'd like to be - so what do I have to contribute to this current spike in melanin in the industry?
My top 5 songs by my favourite lowkey and underrated black artists, of course!
Here's a list made with love and my tired little hands (you can thank uni work for that xoxo), in order of preference this time - though i'd put them all in the same spot if I could.
1. Mach Hommy - Wap Konn Jòj
"Some people choose what they feel over what's real and that's not right"
Mach Hommy is the type of artist that is often spoken of but rarely speaks, akin to that of MF Doom and others of the like. His musical style varies from album to album, freestyle to freestyle, making his determined overall genre just as anonymous as his identity - which is hidden by the infamous bandanna over the latter half of his face. This song in particular has a title meaning "You will get what's coming to you". Considering this alongside the album photo being a reference to the uprising of Haitian slaves against Napoleon, and his lyrics speaking of blame and being sick in the head all imply a rebellion. Whether that's internal or external is unknown, but it can easily be viewed as breaking free from one's own chains before it catches up to them, or fighting against someone else. Either way, it's a reflective track that feels good to put on when you're deeping something.
2. RNIE - New Laundry
"I feel fucked up when you ask can I see you"
I found this man back in early Soundcloud days, the Summer of 2017. I was lounging in my bed, the sun was warm, and I remember just rolling around on my duvet screaming out the little "I wanna say's" he sings near the chorus. That's the type of impulsive feeling I want you to be on when you're playing this during a road trip with your friends, or a late night maccies sesh or something. I haven't anything to say about RNIE's background, since he really does keep it on the low, but your best bet is to just trust me and listen to this one. Just a cool indie boy playing guitar and singing about his emotions. It doesn't get better than that.
3. Davina Oriakhi - Juju
"This one pass e juju"
This one I dey enjoy ooo - no be small thing, big thing this one.
Or, in other words, I like this song a lot.
Using a mixture of Nigerian Pidgin and The Queen's English™, Davina Oriakhi has blessed our ears with this beautiful track speaking of her divine love. She gracefully utters "this one pass e juju" ("this (love) overcomes witchcraft/evil") so much so that "shey dem call am juju" (they call it witchcraft). The overall message of the song - although subtly religious - is one that can really speak to all the romantics out there: the idea of feeling a love so deep that it feels supernatural. Oriakhi, although still currently overrated has previously won a Teen's Choice Award in 2016, and I'm hoping to see a lot more music awards for her in the future in order to bring Nigeria to a world-stage.
4. Heartist - Tango in Paris
"She said he only took her chicken shop - I took her to the Philippines"
"Tango in Paris" is a cheeky little track full of double entendre, puns on the french language and wordplay that'll make you go "okayyyy" with your head movin crazy like one of those tourist bobbleheads. Heartist's songs in general have a light-hearted and chill function vibe in comparison to the other songs I've listed, with it referencing the idea of taking a girl outside of her comfort zone to experience the world - which is epitomised by the line "ain't this (riding a camel) different to taking the bus?" (lol). The artist has somehow seamlessly combined a delicate piano tune with his raunchy lyrics, which reinforces the main theme of the song - doing something new and different for someone else, which he has perfectly carried out for his listeners.
5. Devon Hendryx (JPEG Mafia) - Montebello High School Prom
(A very, very honorable mention)
"Montebello High School Prom! Montebello High School Prom!"
See, I'm a simple woman. If I see any chance to promo a Peggy song to the masses, I'll take it.
Devon Hendryx is a very early alias of the extremely famous "JPEG Mafia", whose songs are known for their pixelated-video-game-like beats and high energy all throughout. "Montebello High School Prom" - being a much earlier work - does differ from the tracks you may be used to from him, however. It definitely gives "rapping with your friends and saying whatever comes to mind" vibes, but in a pleasant, nostalgic way, that reminds me of sitting at a lunch table and hearing that-one-guy (you know who, there was always one) freestyling.
Then, near the latter half, the song slows down, and so does Peggy's rhythm, as you can hear him shouting the title over and over again, before it fades into a verse that can be described as nothing but insanely random. It goes from talking about how insecure and broke he is to him looking for the next girl to hit on, a comedic yet seamless transition that fits with the overall theme of being an excitable teenager at prom. What a treat.
Alriiiiight
I hope you liked what you heard today - and I also hope you at least listened to a liiiittle bit of each, just to see what you could be into.
Next time...is a surprise ;)
So follow me, stay updated, and keep waiting for that next track.
I swear you'll get addicted this time (lol)
Hasta Luego!
Mimiiiii (aka @dopamimimine on insta xoxo)
(Pssst... the surprise this time is a piano hahaha, have fun playing around with it)
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