All We Need is a cohesive piece of work in what people call conscious rap. The music is an inspiring mix of hip hop and folk, borrowing guitars and minimalist percussion behind singing-rapping vocals. Tracks like "Forbidden Knowledge" and "Revolution" are lyrically powerful. The album isn't boring as one would think after mixing folk music and conscious rap.
The performance at U St. Music Hall, however, was less peace, but more shouting, energy, and theatre. If there's one thing you can say, Raury is a passionate performer. I enjoyed his show like a Chic-Fil-A sandwich (that too was also made in Georgia). It was a good follow-up from the energetic trippy set from Sunny & Gabe, duo from Virginia. The lighting set the environment with color, from patriotic reds, whites, and blues to a bold yellow, a thematic color for the new album.
The pinky in the air thing felt weird, and the calling of people in the crowd to talk to each other felt out of place; almost like those uncomfortable moments in church. Every Black person knows what I'm talking about.
Oddly enough, I've been learning and reading more and more about hip-hop and rap. I've been reading material from Jared Ball, founder of IMixWhatILike. Just recently I met M.K Asante- noted writer, rapper, filmmaker, amongst a host of other things- at the MAWA Writer's Conference. I purchased his books Buck and It's Bigger Than Hip-Hop.
Learning about hip-hop's roots, capitalism, and consumption - all being new to me these past two weeks - this concert experience felt odd. Slightly uncomfortable, if I'm being truly honest.
During the concert, I was surrounded by cool urban white kids; the ones that gentrify neighborhoods and, without irony, wear Supreme. There was this one girl who, apparently not knowing how to vibe, kept pushing me to the side. I had to wonder if these kids were the neoliberal types who say #BlackLivesMatter but call protestors whiny (see #AUCShutItDown). Even worse, I went to a hip-hop community on a popular forum site to look at other reviews of the album. I should've known better. The words "Pretentious" and "pseudo-intellectual" filled the conversation, if not for "average". This attitude is reflected in reviews from respected publications as well such as The Guardian and Pitchfork. Maybe they missed the mark. Maybe they need to go to church. Maybe they need to get some Chic-Fil-A half-n-half and cool down a bit; it takes a lot of energy to hate.
The album speaks, to me, a vision. Although wrapped in the sappiness of flower-child hippie-kidness, the message and the lyrics still bode powerful and honest. Trap Tears tells a sad story that the hip hop community may be all too familiar with (even Taylor Swift is a trap queen apparently.) Forbidden Knowledge may have been too much for a few folks, especially considering America is so tired of talking about racism (a Black man said it too, it must be true!).
In summary, All We Need is a great album. Raury's performance chops continues to grow. Hip-hop is continuously consumed and castrated for dollars. Black lives matter. I want some Chic-Fil-A. The end.