TRACK2TRACK: HATED

ando79 (39)in #music • 5 years ago

The battle between right and wrong can often be blurred. In an era where there are so many sources for news, the facts can depend on who you ask. But what about when your on both sides of the argument? Are you both right and wrong? Or are you a victim of perception? This is what Jacobi Ryan tackles in his latest single "Hated". Being a multi-racial artist in a majority "urban" genre means that Jacobi Ryan like other multi-racial artists are forced with the decision to choose a side. Drake similarly tackled this issue in his track You and the 6 where he spits the line, "I used to get teased for being black, and now I'm here and I'm not black enough." The feelings seem mutual with Jacobi Ryan as he starts out both his first and second verse with a statement about his blackness.

"I'm mixed with black and white, I wish it didn't matter,
Are you telling me I ain't black enough?"

Jacobi Ryan is an artists from Lawton, Oklahoma who has an incredible lyrical skill and a powerful delivery that can't be denied. In his music are a reflection of the times and the hope for change. This includes the awareness of the social issues and humanitarian efforts that have labeled him as 'Conscious Rapper', which is both a gift and a curse. Gifted are the abilities to stay grounded in your truths and speak out against injustices without the fear of backlash. Curse because you are then always the one being called upon to speak on social topics whether you want to or not. But through it all he intends to get his message out to the masses.

The track "Hated" cannot be easily summed up. It is complex and layered with generational wounds that then weaved into the familiar use of the snare and bass kick drums. The outer layer of the track are the lyrics that describe the issues that are going on in the country. Which perspective comes into play. On one side he spits about the problems that Reganomics caused for generations of blacks, while on the other side and in the next bar he spits that "we" (black people) could've made better choices. This is where we start to see just how real the prison of perception is. Perception can be everything even the Jacobi's delivery can be seen from two different sides. From his white side his delivery may be considered militant at times as seen in his mention of slavery and Reganomics. While his black side may consider his delivery as him venting from the frustration of having to overcome obstacle after obstacle. This is the truly an internal battle. But as the chorus ends and the beat fades, Jacobi Ryan breaks into a spoken word performance of a Bob Marley quote where he lets it be known that he stands for the side of the "Creator".

To be "Conscious" is to be well-read, to think for yourself, and to fight for the people. All things that hardly sell and hardly make the radio. But "Hated" is the hardly that it takes to open a dialogue that can change the world. But as Jacobi says: