Make America Rage Again
“Define who you are and what you are, and be clear on that. Meditate on that and then, live and die by that.”
Ermias Asghedom
The struggle is more than a life of trials, tribulations, obstacles and adversity. The struggle is mental state. See poverty of mind is more concerning than poverty of the pocket. Many who might have experienced both might disagree. As a person who witnessed/lived/experienced both, I can tell you that to escape poverty of the pocket but to be chained to poverty of mind, one can never truly escape the cycle. Some seek escape through constant hustle only to find that there is no finish line at life’s end, some might seem escape through education only to find that truth isn’t always found through text, some might seek escape by creativity only to discover that we cannot create that which we do not know. Those who seek escape through all of the above but also uplift all of those around them are breaking the cycle.
A musician, writer, thinker, all of these creatives are cornerstones of philosophical thought to society. They bring the concepts of life, death, soul, pain, healing, evil and God to the forefront of our everyday thought as we work tirelessly. They are our mirror, our ethical/moral gauge of which to measure ourselves by. Some might not take that role so serious and others understand their position as paramount to humanity. Outrage is one such artist. With the complexity of thought, and execution of wordplay one imagines the emcee/writer/thinker as a monk studying the arts with unrelenting resolve. Meditating on its meaning and performing it with precision so that others can draw from the same well from which it came. The artist known as Outrage has a release of two tracks that embodies all that is human and godly at once. The first track titled “Saved Me” is a collaboration between Walt Deez and himself. An urban tale of acceptance, striving and salvation. The duo are musically complimentary and create a powerhouse of relevance.
The video that accompanies the track is set amongst the backdrop of iconic Albuquerque downtown landmarks and describe their story perfectly.
The second track is titled “CNDLS”. It sounds like a diary entry, a stream of consciousness, an obituary, a coming to terms of life, success, failure and everything in between that makes life holy. It’s not a moral compass but rather a tale told of a life lived well. It’s beautiful and striking, its complexity of topic is not lost or obscured but rather indulged and the meaning can be understood in layers.
The video for “CNDLS” is just as succinct and well crafted. Filmed and edited by a legend in his own right Dan K creates the mood and story with ease and allows Outrage to paint the picture he does so well.
Some might say that hip hop with great substance is of a bygone era. Relegated to the history books and never to be popular or appreciated again. But as every artist does what they do, they can only continue to be themselves and create what they know is true in their being. So as long as we exist they can’t write us off to books of a forgotten time. It’s time we make America Rage again.
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the works, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Gods.”