Through poetry and humanity, Rouge carves a path away from his pain. “Closest Thing to God in the Flesh” is experimental in the conventional sense, with a dynamic instrumental and stream of consciousness, but also in the sense that it challenges modes of expression.
Art Rap
Why We Like It: Otis Mensah’s “Like A Dog”
The gentle jazzy “Like a Dog” sees Otis Mensah at his most melodic. The second installment in season two of #OtisMensahExists brings Mensah questioning if changes in his personality are for better or worse. He drowns in the hurt like the howl of a dog.
Why We Like It: Donny Block’s “Fin”
In a swirling symphony of distortion, Donny Block encapsulates the feeling of hopelessness. The irony of “Fin” is that it’s just the beginning.
Why We Like It: Critical Mischief & Cameron Bolden’s “Quicksand!”
Over a precarious loop, Critical Mischief and Cameron Bolden look for hope through hardship on “Quicksand!” Their raps bring to mind the low points but search for beauty in the vallies.
Why We Like It: Imp & Kaffo, the Sensei’s “Bebop Rocksteady”
“Bebop Rocksteady” is as much a display of sheer talent as it is a testament to the friendship between Imp and Kaffo, the Sensei. The emcees rhyme about comic book villains with a back and forth banter that plays off their friendship.
Existing for Art as an Act of Defiance: Meet Otis Mensah
Emcee, performer and poet laureate Otis Mensah is existing for his art, and in a world that commodifies self-expression, that’s an act of resistance.
Why We Like It: Deca’s “Clay Pigeons”
Sometimes we only gain the most fresh perspective by blasting away from the world. On “Clay Pigeons,” Deca waxes poetic about the machinations of the Earth from a view high above. He soars away from the world on spacey minimalistic production that leaves his words the last thing to hang onto.
'