Sunday General Discussion - December 23rd 2018 - HipHop

It's not often that a group comes into their debut project with an Emmy, an Academy Award, and five Grammy Awards on their collective resumé. It's also not often that three friends with over a half a century of experience in the business decide to get together to put some jams on wax.

Instead of spending precious time going into colorful descriptions of the careers of Common, Robert Glasper, and Karriem Riggins (all of whom are absolute legends within the game), I'll direct you to the Emmy Award-winning first formal collaboration between these three, the 2016 single "Letter To The Free (feat. Bilal)", which was featured in Ava DuVernay's incredible documentary, "13th".

Review

If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears a sound,

Did it ever really happen at all? Did it ever really happen at all?

This refrain, which echoes throughout August Greene, finds its origins in an 1883 issue of The Chautauquan, a periodical serving to further the adult educational movement in the mid- to late-1800s in the United States. While the magazine settles on a purely scientific answer to this question ("No. Sound is the sensation excited in the ear when the air or other medium is set in motion."), this question takes on another context entirely within the monologue that kicks off the album's opener, "Meditation".

Over the course of a crisp 50 minutes, we bear witness to a rumination on the place of African-Americans in 21st Century America. While it's no secret that the United States has a troublesome track record with issues of race, the pop cultural representation of where we stand today often falls back on moments where extraordinary individuals accomplished extraordinary things (Common himself provided an Oscar-worthy contribution to the soundtrack of 'Selma' in 2014). The question our narrator asks (and ultimately the central issue of the album) is whether the "progress" we've made has made a real difference in the lives of ordinary people, or if the systems in place still damn a great majority of them to fading into obscurity. Is the daily fight to survive worth it when the outcome will likely be the same regardless?

While the ultimate answer to this question is 'yes', there are plenty of moments where the narrator is not so sure.

On "Black Kennedy", a song that centers around an off-kilter kick-and-snare pattern by Riggins and a buttery hook from Samora Pinderhughes, we find Common wishing he could do more for the people in his city:

Wish I could put Jordans on the feet of everyone

Black Kennedy, royalty with black identity

Leader of the freestyle, I go to penitentiaries

And write with the fight of Reverend Wright from Trinity

For centuries, they'll remember me for my similes

While he comes to the conclusion that he can give back to his community regardless of how much money he makes, he recognizes that he lacks the power to have the same level of influence of people with power. Even Barack Obama, who to many represents the paragon of black excellence in the 21st Century, is only named within the context of being a beacon of hope for what may come down the road, rather than having made a massive difference in the lives of his people right now. For Obama, being "the king" doesn't mean having the power to effect change or to live life unencumbered by the same erosive thoughts that our narrator suffers from. Being a "Black Kennedy", on the other hand, represents having the peace of mind to ride around the city with the top down, a beautiful indifference to being in the world's crosshairs.

With each track, Glasper and Riggins (along with the help of some talented friends) contrast the often-bleak vistas with warm instrumentals that know just when to pull back in favor of highlighting Common's rhymes. The instrumental work of August Greene is that of a group of masters who know and respect each other, avoiding the temptation to overstay their welcome.

This chemistry is best epitomized on the album's closer, "Swisha Suite", where the heady contemplation of the earlier tracks gives way to a nearly 13 minute-long smoke break. Common's presence is understated, but what words come through favor acceptance of one's lot over self-flagellation:

I made some mistakes, some things I was good at

You take away the bad then you gotta take the good back

In the end, Common, Glasper, and Riggins don't provide any catch-all solutions to the problems we face today. To some, that may prove disappointing. However, I would argue that the trio masterfully capture the process of moving from self-resentment to self-forgiveness with the help of talented friends and a hint of optimism, however unearned it may be.

In the end, maybe that tree does make a sound, after all.

Favorite Lyrics

Living in ambition on a mission impossible

Envision optimism through a prism that's optical

To see through obstacles and be remarkable

"Optimistic" (feat. Brandy)

We found ways to surface, bringing heaven where earth is

Verses become churches, not for you to worship

But to find your purpose, rhyme's a divine service

"The Time"

There had to be a dove that was out there for him

He be madly in love and then go to boredom

His own issues, he would ignore 'em

And pour 'em into work and being so called free

Now imagine this bird being me

I always thought, "I'm the one to fly free"

Played the game and handled it like Kyrie

"Fly Away"

Talking Points

With such an accomplished group of musicians as are included in this collaborative, where does this project fall within the discographies of each of the members?
Does "Optimistic" feel like cognitive dissonance on behalf of the narrator, or is his optimism in earnest?
Why do you believe that live instrumentation and jazz-rap has made such a comeback in recent years?
Do you see this as the first of many collaborations as a group, or more of a one-off project? If the former, where do you see the group going from here?

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