Rap meets political activism in the 10 song EP

Usually I’m not a huge fan of rap, but grandson (yes it’s supposed to be all lowercase) combines the modern rap tropes and mixes it with rock elements that I haven’t heard from many artists. He also uses his songs and platform to share his opinions on what’s wrong with the world that he sees around him. This EP was released is two parts, “a modern tragedy vol. 1” and “a modern tragedy vol. 2”.

Vol 1:

Blood//Water: This one pastes a huge target on the politicians that are ignoring the hardships of American citizens. He sings about how a day of judgement for them is coming, and they won’t get away with the evils that they’ve done in office. This song is a warning for the cruel people in the government that they will be held accountable.

Favorite line: “When the last tree’s fallen/ The animal can’t hide/ Money won’t solve it/ What’s your alibi?”

Stick Up: This song gets stuck in your head almost as soon as you listen to it. This has the strong guitar and drums that really define his music. The topic is a little disturbing, since it focuses on the reasoning behind people who rob stores and banks, hence the name “stick up”. He talks about how the shooter isn’t doing it out of evil, but rather desperation because many of the people that become robbers are poor and receiving no help from the world around them.

Favorite line: “He needs help, relying on this system that rejects him/ Took away his benefits but left him with his weapon.”

Despicable: In my opinion, this is the saddest song on this half of the EP. I interpret this as a story of a suicide. It talks about self loathing, resentment, and feeling worthless. I think this is another warning though, telling people that they should look out for the signs of depression and suicide. It’s a pretty slow song in the beginning, but the chorus has the typical rap bass drop into some awesome techno music. It’s honestly really catchy, and I’m a big fan despite the depressing topic.

Favorite line: “The boy who fell into the sky/ Had no one there to watch him cry.”

6:00: To me, this sounds like the most stereotypical rap song on the EP, which is in no way a bad thing. It brings to light the massive amount of police brutality towards African American men in particular. Most of the vocals in this song are very clearly angry, perfectly matching the frustration that many of us feel about this issue. I’m a huge fan especially of the chorus and the pre-chorus because they really perfectly sum up the way that society and especially the media react to another case of police brutality.

Favorite line: “It goes “hashtag, body bag”/ Toe tag/ Shot in the chest”

Overdose: This song focuses on the issues of many people turning to hard drugs to escape the harshness of reality. He isn’t condoning it, but he’s trying to explain why it happens and why it needs to stop, as he does with many of his songs. Again, the electronic music is wonderful and I think the changes in tone during the bridge contrast the calmer verses. Overall, this is a song you can easily jam out to or sit down and think about.

Favorite line: “I’ve been way too numb now/ I’m living on the run now/ Oh I gotta get out of this town somehow”

Vol 2:

Apologize: This song is pretty upbeat, and I find it very motivating actually. It’s got guitars and drums and spreads a message of not being ashamed of being who you are. This one doesn’t really sound like rap really, but it’s a nice opening to the new part of the EP.

Favorite line: “Never been a perfect soul, but I will not apologize”

Stigmata: The first thing I noticed when I listened to this was the amazing beat drop after the chorus and the epic electronic music afterwards. Everything about this song is incredible from the music, to the vocals, to the lyrics. It talks about how people will always try to stop those with differing opinions. It’s pretty clearly aimed at the government and how they can’t stop the people clamoring for change.

Favorite line: “The truth is still alive and well/ It’s underground on the Wi-Fi still”

Is This What You Wanted: This is a slow song, easily the slowest on the entire EP. It’s mostly just him lamenting about how life goes wrong and how the world is slowly going into chaos. It starts with personal issues and then moves into the issues that he sees with the government and asking if this is the way it’s supposed to go. The bridge is motivating, angry, and loud, contrasting with the slow parts from before.

Favorite line: “You want me sedated/ You deserve all you got coming/ I am the thing you created”

Fallin (Temptation): This is easily the fastest rap he’s done so far, and this sounds most like the traditional rap song, which is not even close to a bad thing. The beat is amazing and though there isn’t a tone shift like most of his more monotone songs, but it fits the subject matter so well.

Favorite line: “Living like they’re tomorrow/ Living this life, but it’s hollow”

Darkside: This is a song about kids that wind up being murderers and school shooters. It talks about how people should notice that when kids have a hard past, get bullied, and have access to semi-automatic weapons, they’re going to be dangerous. I see this as a precautionary song that school shootings can easily be stopped if the people in charge take time to notice things about their students. The subject is dark, and the beat and vocals are incredible. The guitars especially stick out to me as being especially good.

Favorite line: “He would wake up with anxiety attacks/ So he put a semi-automatic on his back”