The underground rap queen on the music that makes her lean back and reflect, from Lauryn Hill to Nina Simone
If you haven’t heard of Tommy Genesis yet, she’s Awful Records’ latest signee, and also our new female rap obsession. With her clear-voiced, spitfire flow and DIY trap production, the artist sounds like the deep corners of the internet come to life; a sound she dubs “fetish rap”, with a style that sits between school girl and anime character. While her latest release World Vision is the perfect backdrop to getting baked, we thought we’d speak to Tommy about the tracks she likes to roll a blunt to. “Notions of discontentment drove me to rap,” she told us. “Oppositional culture identified my non-identity. Listen to these tracks to stay woke. We live in a delayed movement; it’s only new before it’s discovered.”
LAURYN HILL & ZIGGY MARLEY – “REDEMPTION SONG”
“The line “how long shall they kill our prophets, while we stand aside and look?” is a valid question. When the world moves on, and new humans are born through the ages, those who try to take a stand are swept under a large political rug. And we are told to stay put – to stand idly by while our true idols die and are replaced with money, sex and war.”
BAD BRAINS – “I LOVE I JAH”
“I fuck with Bad Brains heavy, and the lyrics to “I Luv I Jah” are simple but feel enlightened. They talk a lot about a positive mental attitude, and while they’re pioneers of hardcore punk, they’re also tapped into jazz, reggae, heavy metal, and hip-hop all as respected contributors. Everything they made was blessed.”
LAURYN HILL – “I GET OUT (UNPLUGGED)”
“Her lyrics are a threat to the system. She’s tapped into an ancient wisdom and it’s as if she is channelling an out-of-body experience. Where words that shouldn’t rhyme do rhyme because they foresee the truth. Often, what she says is lost because it’s too powerful to be realized. Her complete epiphany on what is really happening, silences her. Who is really in charge? The answer to life’s mystery is when you look up at the sky and wonder why? Why did you fuck me over God? But it’s not God, it’s the system.”
KANYE WEST – “NEW SLAVES/BLOOD ON THE LEAVES”
“In this track, Kanye opens by rapping “my father was a black panther, my father who ain’t in heaven...” and this performance of it feels restless and unhinged. I fuck with it.”
SAUL WILLIAMS – “LIST OF DEMANDS”
“To me, Saul Williams is a genre – his poetry is rap, and his rap is poetry. He is his own art form. He speaks against injustices, and his words combat those who repress the masses. He’s a political movement and he’s a conjuror of freedom. He’s an intellectual waterfall of honey-covered coffins. He points out the flaws in society. He’s an angel with a bow and a long tongue. He has a list of demands written on the palms of [his] hands.”
ERYKAH BADU – “ON & ON”
“Erykah Badu equates God to Man to Earth. She sips tea while the world burns. I met her when I was 16, and I told her I liked her music and she said “really.” Most conscious lyricism isn’t popular, but she’s always been able to cross over.”
GIL SCOTT-HERON – “THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED”
“This track is a poem to me. It is also a weapon. “The revolution will put you in the drivers seat…the revolution will be live” he sings, meaning that the revolution lives within you.”
TUPAC – “BLASPHEMY”
“This track was on Tupac’s last album, and it was released after he died. It’s about how they come for you if you speak the truth. They either label you insane, flat out kill you or disgrace your reputation – it’s propaganda. They feed you the prettiest most addictive aspects of life so you don’t notice or partake in the raw uncompromised consciousness readily available to you everyday.”
NINA SIMONE – “STRANGE FRUIT”
“It is really hard to write about this track because it’s as if an iceberg has been uploaded online and only the tip is visible.”
PUSSY RIOT – “LIKE A RED PRISON”
“Some artists trend and then once that trend fades, the public eye shifts it’s gaze. I think it’s important to support artists who are active IRL, rebellious, and make music out of necessity. When the government throws you in jail for a song, there will always be power in that song.”
MICHAEL JACKSON – “THEY DON’T REALLY CARE ABOUT US”
“He was the ‘King of Pop’, but he was also socially conscious. This track is still relevant in 2016 – you can hear the frustration and anger in his voice. It’s the same issues re-circulated and constantly repackaged.”