bigOmuziq has often been referred to as the “Bruce Wayne of Hip-hop”, as he is an attorney and community activist by day, and a brutally candid emcee by night. His interest in music emerged at a young age as he began writing poetry at 14. In August 2013, from his basement, he digitally released his official debut project “mOOdydreams”, while on September 15, 2015, he released his 2nd project, “Le Renaissance” which is a 23-track album revolving around the physical, mental and spiritual rehabilitation of an individual. The album features several Detroit artists and producers, such as Pierre Anthony, Nappi Devi, Mekato, and Ali Imam.
Here’s someone making music with talent and sincerity and courage. It’s rare to find an album that doesn’t have you skipping tracks. It’s even rarer when the album is produced by several producers but manages to stay focused and close to its central theme throughout. In fact the beats really stand out for the best part of this 2 part album. The soulful, melodic arrangements loaded with luscious samples and vocal hooks almost take you on a sonic trance, while bigOmuziq weaves his energetic verses about fighting inner demons, self-discovery and then optimistic confidence. But bigOmuziq does not steer clear from more controversial themes such as police brutality, racism, war, greed, and corruption, which is all wrapped up in the second half of the recording.
Most of the songs rely on flamboyant instrumentation and sample usage, taking inspiration from divergent genres, such as: Jazz, Soul and R&B, lending a lilting zestfulness to the album. Lyrics-wise, it’s about what you’d expect from a rapper with the cultural caliber of bigOmuziq. It’s evident however, that he also put a lot of effort into the production, crafting an album of finely honed and quite skillful hip-hop.
Choosing standouts or favorite tracks is a rather arduous task, considering the amount of quality songs this 2CD album contains. The best thing to do is go with your mood and current state of being. Then flip in one of the two discs and just press play. There is no need to skip any filler tracks, because this album simply doesn’t contain any. It’s a straight through listen. This is the album that so many other forward thinking artists have wanted and tried to do. Its imperfections are nonexistent, and its importance is assured. bigOmuziq also has one of the most listenable voices, which adds a great deal to the communication – his flow is tight, he is socially conscious, passionate and creative.
Furthermore, it is a breath of fresh air when someone with creativity in terms of rhymes, lyrics and dedicated intention like bigOmuziq comes along and conveys his thoughts in such a clear and unpretentious way that is sorely lacking in Hip-hop music. Though it’s just too hard to narrow it down, if I was forced to choose a handful of tracks that captured my attention, it would be: “drOwn [prOd. by Ali Imam]”, “ynOt feat. Dana Basha [prOd. by Sigh]”, “illusiOns feat. Nappi Devi & Pierre Anthony [prOd. by AUG]”, “writersblOck feat. Ali Imam [prOd. by Mekato]”, “well$pent feat. Dana Basha & Nina [prOd. by FlashBeats]” and “Godmyback [prOd. by MekatO]”.
bigOmuziq is bringing back the true meaning and substance to Hip-hop. I recommend this joint to anyone seeking to hear the voice of an all-encompassing culture examination as well as an insight into a personal state of mind.
OFFICIAL LINKS: WEBSITE – SOUNDCLOUD – FACEBOOK
