Lyricism in hip-hop is far from dead. Mixing powerful, poetic verses from multiple artists with infusions of jazz and soul, “Black Is…” speaks on both the struggle and the beauty of being Black in America.
A product of emcee Ozay Moore (fka Othello) and hip-hop producer Tall Black Guy, the track is a potent dive into the issues of white supremacy, systemic oppression, and racism.
The two Michigan natives released this track as an homage to Black History Month and as a preview for their upcoming album Of Process and Progression.
“Black Is…” opens up with a prologue by Daniel Steele (DSTL) followed with verses by Ozay Moore and Sareem Poems. Each brings their own lyrical take on Black history and current issues and all together create that conscious and profound old school sound reminiscent of a Rawkus record.
Not to mention the solid outro by Rich Medina that leave you with the lines:
“We are the proverbial, overqualified underdog, trapped in a white man’s fear that my progress means his loss. I mean, we’ve seen this movie before and when the coin is tossed, it always lands in a cup of white tears. A ripple in your placid pool of dissonance, if you will. And still, Blackness not only strives but reinvents how to thrive despite the heels on our backs and the knees on our necks.”
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