Sons of Kemet have made their long-awaited return to music with their first release in nearly three years, collaborating with Kojey Radical on their new single ‘Hustle’. The release coincides with the group’s announcement of their fourth studio album ‘Black To The Future’, which will drop on May 14th via Impulse! Records.
The music video for ‘Hustle’ is striking, centred around two dancers, one dressed in black and the other in white, embroiled in a struggle against one other. Describing the highly symbolic nature of the video in a press release, Shabaka Hutchings, the leader of the London-based jazz collective, said, “The dancers represent the duality present within any struggle to transcend internal limitations. As the video progresses, we see that it’s only once the differing elements of the self are reconciled and act in unison that rebirth (symbolised by the immersion in water) can occur.” This act of “rebirth” is similarly confirmed by both dancers being dressed in white by the end of the video.
The song itself is driven by a bold tuba-led bassline, over which scattering saxophone and clarinet riffs accompany afrobeat-inspired drum patterns. Notably, the track’s instrumentation is more pared back than the free-flowing jazz arrangements of their 2018 album ‘Your Queen Is a Reptile’, probably to ensure that Kojey Radical’s powerful lyrics are heard.
In a moment that captures the spirit of the song, Kojey poetically raps, “These peace signs are just a piece of the puzzle/ Spit to the muzzle, silence the lambs/ Kiss and they cuddle, forget that they cut you/ It’s just part of the hustle.” The track also features soothing background vocals from Lianne La Havas, whose husky vocal tone perfectly complements Kojey’s forceful delivery.
Whilst discussing the group’s forthcoming LP in a press statement, Hutchings explained, “‘Black To The Future’ is a sonic poem for the invocation of power, remembrance and healing. It depicts a movement to redefine and reaffirm what it means to strive for black power. The meaning is not universal and the cultural context of the listener will shape their understanding. Yet in the end, the overarching message remains the same: For humanity to progress we must consider what it means to be ‘Black To The Future’.”
Hutchings is clearly very mindful of the Afrofuturist aesthetic that the group is cultivating through their music, especially with a name like ‘Black To The Future’ for their newest record. Aptly, the features on the album all come from black artists, including appearances from Moor Mother, Angel Bat Dawid, D Double E, Joshua Idehen, and, of course, Kojey Radical.
Interestingly, the album will be the first time that the group have really given their fans a collection of collaborative tracks. Since ‘Black To The Future’ strives to “depict a movement to redefine and reaffirm what it means to strive for black power”, perhaps it was imperative that an array of black voices were heard on the project.
Check out the music video for ‘Hustle’ below:
