Raashan Ahmad – The Push
Reviewed by Sadie O., 5/20/08
Conscious (and extremely personal) funky hip hop from the Bay Area. I was sucked in by the funky riddims, but some of the lyrics are so intense I can’t listen to the songs. Clearly Ahmad has a lot of stuff he had to work through with the lyrics, including a lot of deaths around him. The more general sociopolitical numbers are easier listening!
Single FCCs on tracks 5 and 12. I like 2 and 4 and esp. 9 best.
1. *upbeat funky groove with vocal samples, and self-introduction. Some pretty amusing lyrics.
2. ***bit of spoken intro, then midtempo but rather relaxed cool percussion (w/ theremin?) and chanted chorus, two voices rapping. Guest Chali 2na has a great rhythmic style.
3. **jazzy funk with sung love song chorus, rap about promising Allah to do his best.
4. ***downbeat chant and cry intro, then slow 70’s style funk, some singing and some rhythmic rap, hard times lyrics. Great stuff!
5. FCC: “Fuck tha police” *uptempo jazzy syncopation, monotonal organ chord for verses, hyperspeed rap. Great keyboards near end.
6. Downbeat “R&B” with a strong scent of Hennessey. Sweet lyrics, though.
7. *downtempo beat with 30 seconds of serious righteous preaching, religious rap with sociopolitical slant.
8. **crazy uptempo electronic riddim, upspeed rhythmic rap, disturbing story. I love the beat, but I can’t listen to the words!
9. ****funky drums, hard stuff – sort of a continuation of “Fight the Power”. Lots of diatribe and great sound. I love this!
10. **rather quiet and subdued, in a latent power sorta way, Jamaican-style dancehall vocals.
11. *bits of childbirthing intro, downbeat riddim, dedication to his son. Long recording of toddler singing at end.
12. FCC: “fuck cancer” (quite clear, alas) **sound collage intro, midtempo syncopated riddim, about his mother’s fatal illness, another very difficult song to listen to.
13. *simple midtempo beat, jazzy instrumentation, shoutouts to pretty much everyone around him.