The project opens up with “Chubble”, one of the singles that preceded the project. The track is a laidback soulful bop that explores the concept of freedom in this day and age when the system never stops putting its boots on the neck of the masses. Over PK‘s smokey and hazy soundscape, André delivers a brilliant and expressive flow ripe with unapologetic lyricism and a radical Rastafari mindset to remind us of our indomitable spirit. Lines like “One love, one tongue mi go use it/Trust once violate you go lose it” stamp his ideology firmly for the audience to feel. The song also comes with accompanying visuals that are a nice blend of performance shots of the artist as he does his thing in different spots while basking in the serenity of his environment.

The next track “Six” features rapper Jayder Etruscan and it’s a scathing look at the current state of affairs. Backed by a cinematic and brooding backdrop, André and Jayder share their thoughts on their respective struggles and journeys through the unforgiving world where nothing is given or promised. This leads to “Chupid”, a bouncy modern Dancehall jam comprising thick bass-driven grooves and a moody synth pluck underpinned by André’s commanding vocal performance. Here, he reminds us of the masses of their collective powers and the essence of unity in the face of oppression.  On “Insohreckshan”, André teams up with vocalist Wxndchime and together they deliver a poignant message aimed at opening our eyes and minds to the current state of affairs in the land. Over the cinematic and punchy soundscape, Jahnoi reminds us of the brutal reality that we often choose to forget with lines like

“Still I run like I’m Usain in a fool’s race
With one shoelace tied tight to the other
Still I ride for my brother and my sister and all siblings
Til this dutty corrupt system is all crumbling and sizzling
Tell my children that I tried til I couldn’t
Tell my mother that she cried for a reason”

In the cinematic “Sankara”, André taps into the spirit of the late legendary African leader Sankara and delivers a fiery performance ripe with unapologetic lyrics that look at the overarching oppressive system and capitalistic environment that often keeps minorities under shackles.  Once again, André doesn’t hold back from passing the message and sparks minds to rise to their duties and break the mental chains preventing us from reaching our full potential.

The project closes out on a sombre and anthemic note with the tracks “Dismantle” and “Duppy Run”  featuring Wxndchime.  The former is self-explanatory and sees André imploring the masses to dismantle all the oppressive systems and isms that profit the oppressors while the latter is a relaxing and reflective tone that channels the resilient spirit of the empowered masses who don’t have to run from the Duppies (powers that be).

Running at a length of 28minutes Akoben is an engaging and thought-provoking project that is anchored on self-determination and the awakening of social consciousness in the masses. Besides the poignant message and thought-provoking themes, André does use palatable sounds to get his message across. The fusion of Dancehall/Reggae, and hip-hop with a touch of soul is brilliant and shows versatility across the board.

Stream Akoben on all DSPs here and on Bandcamp.

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