It’s been the longest Swedish winter in 60 years. I’m supposed to film the last joints of Promoe’s upcoming album “White Man’s Burden” for the DVD. His house is in the middle of the woods. Big time country style. Promoe is shoveling snow like crazy when I get there. Did Embee hook up the Capleton joint yet? Yeah man. Play it in the car. Promoe’s just been driving for a couple of months. He blasts the tune. It’s snowing like crazy. He’s driving fast. It’s a small countryside road. We hit the crossroads just when Capleton hits that high note. I’m filming. The mix is hot. I’m zoomed into Promoe’s beard when I realize he’s lost control of the car. A couple of images flicker by. Leeroy from Saian Supa Crew locked up in Promoe’s closet. The audience with the prophet Capleton in his yard in front of the pigeon cage. The mice gnawing holes in the wires in Promoe’s forest house. I breathe out and feel the tires lose the grip.
Didn't wanna represent rapist and murderers / the white mans burden is not what ya heard it is / No / It aint about a mission to christian the heathens but it’s connected to that vision of us as superior beings / and the worlds darkest history / his story is my story it ain’t no mystery/
I didn’t hear the rest of the record until Heathrow. With three of Jamaica’s biggest voices plus a couple of Europe’s hottest reggae acts I was expecting more Kingston vibes. Instead I got a hard hittin hip hop album. From some real hardcore spitting from Assassin and Kardinal Offishall to Daville's and Nosliw's soulful harmonies. From Embee’s crazy melodic arrangements to DJ Large’s and Ledrac’s dark bangers. The simple fact that Leeroy is kicking it in French and Nosliw in German has to be groundbreaking. The only thing predictable so far: Promoe’s lyrics are uniquely his own. From time zone hopping and aggressive bulimia to colonial anguish and backpacking pseudo rap. He’s still the hottest vegan course on your hip hop menu. Promoe continues to battle topics previously unheard of in the rap realm. His general misplacement in hip hop’s consumer fixated industry is always a relief to me. If you feel like bumping some relentlessly non-sexist, non-capitalist hip hop music, this might just be for you.
We crash into an old grey fence. Bust a couple of planks. A family of bored sheep watches us. We’re stuck in the snow. I can’t stop filming. Promoe asks me if I got my scoop yet. The car won’t budge. I’m thinking about what kinda burden Promoe carries. I know he’s got his fair share. Still all I can focus of are the yokes he won’t have to submit to. Weak productions. Wack flows. Fake features. Vapid content. A red car stops and tows us. We’re home safe. I got this feeling “White Man’s Burden” is towing me somewhere, too. I’m just not sure where. All I know is it’s a helluva lot hotter than this place.
'06 - Songs Of Joy
'04 - The Long Distance Runner
