Conscious Rap – the broad definition of my music

The term “conscious rap” get’s thrown around a lot, so just want to say a little on this. As a producer of content of any kind you’re eventually and inevitably faced with the need to categorise the content you’ve created. Even though I have a very broad musical style, both as a Producer and as a Performing Artist, the majority of my music involves rapping. I don’t like to call myself a “rapper” because I still feel I’m a primarily a Producer, but the reality is I do make rap music.

It’s not “gangster rap”

First let’s be clear about what I’m not. I rap, but I’m not 50 Cent – I don’t do gangster rap. I’m nothing like Snoop Dogg. I haven’t been a “gang” type of person since my early teens. I’m not a “booty rapper”. Don’t compare me to Lil’ Wayne. These guys all make a very different type of music to what I do.

I’d equate myself with people more like Talib Kweli, The Roots, Murs, The Goody Mob and Common (excluding that Universal Mind Control album – I don’t know what that was about). These guys all make what I would call, Conscious Rap Music. But what is “conscious rap”? In a nutshell, I’d say that conscious rap music, or conscious music of any kind, is music that guides, informs, educates, inspires or motivates. The best of it entertains while doing one or more of these.

Away with the labels…

I make music. Plain and simple. Often it has words, sometimes it doesn’t. As I said, I’m a Producer first. Given my wide range of musical taste the music I make varies greatly and fits into all different genres, from Hip Hop to Jazz to Dance/Club music. I’ve got music that could easily be movie soundtracks. And I guess this is why I’m reluctant to be pigeon-holed as a “rapper”. There’s far more to what I do, and I hope people realise this, through my songs – which are a combination of conscious music and conscious rap – and through my other content, like the videos I create, and my blog, The Urban Alchemist, which is also focused around conscious thinking.

I think more conscious thought will take us all a long way. It’s why I do what I do, the way I do it.