Albuquerque, New Mexico emcee Wake Self combines observant social commentary, complex rhyme patterns and uplifting rhythms for his most recent album, Malala, which was released Wednesday, August 24.
From the orchestral feel of the impactful title track to “Change the World” featuring Blackalicious’ Gift of Gab, the 15-track album bursts with original content unparalleled by most modern day emcees.
“There are concepts inside of every song,” Wake explained in a recent interview. “Each song has its own mood, atmosphere and anatomy. The way I feel about life and my experiences, beliefs, perception, and emotion is everything. As humans we are not the boxes and generalizations or short description we are forced to fit in. Everything we are is constantly expanding and deepening. Malala is an illustrated soundtrack to my journey and faith for a brighter future.”
With lush contributions from Miles Bonny, Belgium artist Blu Samu, partner-in-crime Def-i, and of course, Gift of Gab, Malala comes at a time when complacency has littered Hip Hop’s landscape.
“Making this album has already changed my life,” he says. “I am deeply connected to every word, syllable, rhyme patter, feeling, concept, and idea that came through me on this project. I try to make music that can heal, inspire, bring love, awareness, happiness, and clarity. I want people to feel alive, and clear—to not only envision a new world, but to also start materializing it with our actions, and continue cleansing ourselves from the wounds of our past social patterns.” Check it out on Bandcamp.
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