benrawstein: “still rise” – a man on a mission!
I only discovered benrawstein, and I’ve picked up his latest single “still rise”. His talent as an emcee is truly jaw dropping – blistering flow, incredible storyteller, raps that can be both deeply personal and spiritual, and oftentimes socio-political. On this track, benrawstein shows his hunger to gain respect – not anger, but drive to prove he deserves his place in the game.
His delivery is full of the confidence and swagger of a man on a mission who will not be stopped. He is comfortable talking about his struggles and those of his black brethren but still has an uplifting message of hope for humanity starting from the principles of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King.
The beat and production on this track created is impeccable – your head will be bumping the entire way, but there’s still enough space for benrawstein to rhyme, and his voice is very warm and inviting.
In fact he doesn’t waste any time and bursts out of the gates here with an unstoppable power and there isn’t a single weak verse or line in the bunch. If you consider yourself even a passing fan of conscious underground hip hop you must add this track to your library immediately. Simply put, it is essential.
The America that frustrates benrawstein is the one that gives you the idea that it’s hard to want to better a country you’re too defeated to see the good in. It’s the America with shoot-first police and for-profit prisons.
He uses the words of someone who wants himself and his country to be exceptional and powerful and successful without any one ethnic group having to suffer to make that happen. He builds verses that, while rich with wordplay, never let cleverness get in the way of clarity.
Making every word and sentiment crystal clear not only gets the message across but the raspy yet booming impact of his flow too. So when he uses that voice and that lyrical bluntness to lay his personal thoughts on the line, it puts a resounding weight behind it, one that feels honest.
OFFICIAL LINKS: SOUNDCLOUD
