Black Alien connects peripheral truths in a “white Lollapalooza”

Seasoned fans of even the older stages aren’t the victims exposed in the lyrics, but seeing them sing songs like “Chuck Berry,” “Babylon by Gus,” and “Letter to Amy” is a breath of fresh air.

Black Alien captured the full sun of the Chevrolet stage. It was 2.20pm when he came up to sing this Friday, to an audience still coming, but warm and knowledgeable about every lyric by him. Alien, or Gustavo, or simply Gus, as he is portrayed by himself in many of his raps, is one of the most respected references of the genre in the country. Egress from Planet Hemp, and before that, from the frantic and bewildering Speed ​​Freaks, lays out his journey in everything he sings.

Gus came dressed all in white. He showed himself in front of an immense stage with a black background, supported only by the base of his DJ, Eric Jay. He moves diligently in his space, from one side to the other, and suggests how much the rap he sings in an originally rock festival assumes a mediating function. There, the telecast clarified, the audience was mostly non-Black, with none represented in so many of its denunciatory sounds. But Alien, despite coming from afar, from the early 90s, has never been the hard line, that group of rappers who said no to record companies and festivals because they considered everything part of a great slave system. Even if it is, he preaches, you have to go inside to change it from the inside. Being in Lolla, a system disguised as an indie guy, is still a win.

Chuck Berry, one of his songs, is powerful: “Just before I punched you / Little Richard, Berry / It’s not a fight, but Elvis was never the king of rock.” It is important to revisit the historical injustices of rock and roll at a time when many present had just learned from the theaters that Elvis created almost everything himself. Letter to Ami builds a new bridge with his college audience by unmasking a singer fans saw dying day after day, onstage: “Here’s the well-dressed rascal / perfumed mulambo / Punch another hole in the belt, it makes more sense / Keep the instinct flowing, skinny and drugged.” AND Blood of Free narrows the generation gap. Here, cash can be translated as pix: “At the bottom, I found a spring and went back to school / And between the books and the ball and the kids and the checks / Please, cash.”

Romantic allure in the range opened by a rapper flowing smoothly through reggae, lessons from Planet Hemp, would be the most fragile basis of his tripod. songs like Until we meet again AND As I wantalthough, especially the latter, it has a gregarious importance in their shows, since all sing together and full of fond memories, they are far from the depth of sounds such as Gus Babylon. But Black Alien has the gift of indulging. You don’t even need to be a character when you sing with special guest Xamã the song they just released, Bad girls and bad boys, also made by Hariel. Its hardness has softness and prevents it from becoming yet another cartoon.

Source: Terra

Earl

Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.