I have a question for all my music enthusiasts out there. Is there a viable movement being pushed for pure conscious music to return by the people, or is it all hype?
Well, I’d like to believe that idea of socially conscious music is coming back and with a vengeance. I believe that I have a young lady, making a loud noise for change.
“Tarica” a DC rapper, has been pleading her case of speaking out on issues that are affecting our communities for quite some time now. She’s spoken out on everything from political and social charged issues plaguing the nation, and her very own city. To the constant presence of gentrification running rampant in every urban dense population in the country, this female rapper isn’t a virgin storyteller. While starting out delivering her powerful words as poetry, then getting known for dropping knowledge, she eventually turned those poems into conscious rhymes set to beats.
In 2010, the mixtape entitled “Moonlight Revolution” gained critical acclaim of being the first modern day outfit albums to address issues of empowerment and misogyny, that has a heavily presence in the rap and hip hop community. This also led to Tarica, traveling and performing at events centered around uplifting and empowering young women. Tarica has also raised awareness regarding other socially and conscious issues organizations. She is now promoting a new project entitled “Streams of Consciousness” and it’s hot. This mixtape is filled with jaw dropping lyrics and fresh beats. The first single to drop from the project is entitled “But Anyway”. The track features a sample from “Susan Vega’s” “Tom’s Diner” and “PM Dawns” “Set A Drift On Memory Bliss”. Tarica shows off her lyrical styles on this one to times past, of “Marion Barry” running the city and giving a damn about the people. The song also addresses the fact that the record labels really don’t want music to feed your intellect to resonate over the airwaves. This is just one of the many voices out there speaking on behalf of the voiceless. We as the consumers must stand with this artist and many others to change what is being played on the radio and what the record label believes to be what the masses want to hear. Supporters of pure impactful music and artists like the one I’ve introduced to you today, need to know that you stand with them, because they cannot change it by themselves. It takes all of us a collective force to impact change.
Until next time, attend those concerts and festivals and discover a few new artists.
Leslie A. Thomas is a lover of all things music follow on Twitter @Lboogie252005
