Just yesterday I talked here on the site about how danceable music can still have great lyrics, and in a critique on the music of Migos, discussed the importance of thinking about the message you are trying to impart on your listeners with your music.
Another great example comes here with Oddisee, a Washington D.C. rapper who, for an audience much smaller than that of Migos, is known for his well worded socially conscious material. I reviewed his record The Good Fight to high praise back in 2015.
His new single “Like Really” addresses systemic racism, the #BlackLivesMatter movement, and recent political events in this country with an incredibly smooth yet direct flow that’s as catchy as Danny Brown’s recent hit “Really Doe.” It’s a track that has me very excited for his upcoming record The Iceberg, due out 2/24.
Peep the verse below via Genius and listen via Apple Music.
//tools.applemusic.com/embed/v1/song/1188950154?country=us
Why you want to catch my eye,
when you already know that I’m taken (nah like really)
How you past due on payments,
and I’m seeing you on vacation (nah like really)
How you gonna make us great,
when we were never really that amazing (nah like really)
Take it back to what,
I don’t find hanging black lives entertaining (nah like really)
How do you police the streets,
of a neighborhood you do not engage in (nah like really)
Why a brother get three for a sack,
while your brother go free for a raping (nah like really)
How you make a film about Egypt,
with all leading roles caucasian (nah like really)
How you saying all lives matter,
when the stats say we are not adjacent (nah like really)
Tell me if I got it all wrong,
like I signed on the line but I didn’t read the form
And the fine print is all about the times we mourn,
and the color of my skin means I gotta be strong
And your hand me down faith said if I was reborn,
when I take my last breath that you’ll let me breathe on
And as of right now we could never be pals,
so how are we supposed to get along (nah like really)
This now more than ever though,
all about force and measure though (nah like really)
Why am I forced to let it go,
and clean your messes though (nah like really)
You take jobs to Mexico,
pay us less and lesser though (nah like really)
Promised to bring them back,
and that problem gets the vote (nah like really)