NYC and London based drummer Pauli Lovejoy -whose creds include tours with Damon Albarn and Kindness– proves himself to be a wordsmith in his own right on the premiere track "Give Me A Sign." This one is very of the moment, as it focuses on the Ferguson no-indictment decision and the resulting outrage. The vocal chants of "No justice, no peace," which were pulled directly from the protests are equal parts angry and sad, but isn't sadness the root of anger? Also included is an oil painting by Brooklyn artist Amar Stewart, an integral part of the track itself that recognizes the issue is far deeper than race.
On it Lovejoy sing-raps about the basic human desire to incite change and that need to reach out to our fellow man, but waiting for that right moment. Produced by up and coming new kid on the block Heavy x Mellow, this one expresses social justice in a altogether smooth and slowed-down manner with artful samples and a good dose of sultry soul. Dedicated to more memories than one -i.e. Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Rafael Ramos, and Wenjian Liu– the track is a precursor to his currently untitled debut EP to be released later this year.
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