Mannequin
“No, no, my friend. You are kind, and you mean well, but you can never understand these things as I do. You've never been oppressed”
Culture is a commodity, that is the problem. There are those who are attempting to turn people’s history, experience and life into a product. There is the infamous headdress at Coachella Festival, there is the commercialization of holidays to sell alcohol, there are the stereotypical depictions of minority people that are caricatures and used to debase and demean us. These are gross offenses to the people who are part of this cultural experience, we stand in opposition to them and our voice will be heard.
Despite people acting without thought there are those who take an active stance against these types of injustices and one such artist is Phrase Frazier. His latest track titled “Mannequin” does just that. The intro to the track is a catchy and it features a beautiful voice that provides a proper lead in to the lyrical content on the track. Phrase has an energy and hype that really pushes forward the message to his audience. As a lyricist his words are sharp and biting. He brings a critical indictment to the cultural exploitation that occurs too often and presents his perspective in a fiery and damning manner.
The track has the perfect balance of addressing the situation and creating art from it. It is a perfect example of how experience and culture can bring beauty from darkness and create something to be appreciated from a negative experience. You can find Phrase on the infamous battle rap stage known as UBR, (Universal Battle Realm). His battles have received press coverage for their controversy and content, yet his straight forward and high energy approach is a calling card that anyone would be daft to not pick up. Catch the track below and stay tuned to all streaming platforms for a mid month release in November!