Admin Posted March 4, 2015 A lot of people of my generation first heard of Somalia in the early 1990s, during its civil war. What I didn't know was that Somalia is also known as the Nation of Poets, where being slick with words and nice with language is an honored tradition, intrinsic to the people. Skilled poets hold prestigious roles within the culture, from the royal family on down. Keeping that tradition alive in a new context is Malitia MaliMob, who I'd first heard of in early 2012 on a tip from Tendai Maraire of Shabazz Palaces/Chimurenga Renaissance. He'd come across the videos of this young crew of Seattle-based Somali rappers, clocking thousands of views, but more importantly, the comments from other young Malis, happy to have found rappers whose story they related to. I got to know that story a little better on tour with MMM, who were opening shows for Shabazz and THEESatisfaction across the US, getting unexpecting crowds rowdy off their brand of realness. You can check out MMM at their show at Barboza with Chimurenga Renaissance on Wednesday, March 4. The main body of MMM—MCs Chino'o and Krown—met in the US after leaving behind the country, and the civil war, they'd always known. Chino'o told me they'd been rescued by men our news outlets call pirates. MMM's first album, 2012's Riots of the Pirates, made a big impression on me for its urgent take on gangsta rap, as seen through the latest iteration of the African diaspora. Their 2013 Idi Amin Project refined their aggressive approach with a heady trap edge and a deeper perspective—not to mention a fiercer delivery, especially in the gravelly no-love-and-no-fucks-given growl of Chino'o. That voice anchors their newest release, which dropped back in January after a couple of years in the works—recording was complicated by the fact that Krown has been locked up in King County since 2013. Umm, the record is called ISIS. Sooo... why ISIS? No idea—but I know a certain Seattle rapper who once likened himself to Adolf Hitler, and Dipset gave a shout-out to Mohamed Atta. Also, closing track "I Am James Foley (RIP)" leads me to believe that MMM don't sympathize with those statue-smashing dickheads, so let's keep them and me off any lists, okay, Feds? It is what it is, and MMM's seven-track project is starving, unapologetic, born-to-die street-soldier rap with giant beats, fusing Chief Keef nihilism to M.I.A. globalism, plus some startling moments of clarity, adding up to what might well be the African immigrant Me Against the World. As with 2Pac, sleeping on MMM is sleeping on some of the deepest frustration in our streets. Do you sit on FB commenting on scary-ass status updates bemoaning "Somali gangbangers" on Pike Street while ignoring the fact that 300,000 of your neighbors can't send money home anymore because of the war on terror? It's all in the words of ISIS gem "Perception": Come ride wit' us/Come smoke wit' us/Come chill wit' us/'Stead of sitting there, just judging us. Source: http://www.thestranger.com http://www.somaliaonline.com/seattle-based-somali-rap-group-malitia-malimob-release-a-new-record-called-isis/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
