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SONS OF KEMET, JOSHUA IDEHEN FIELD NEGUS
After witnessing a leak of singles, including 'To Never Forget The Source' and 'Hustle (feat.Kojey Radical)', the jazz supergroup Sons of Kemet offer their words of wisdom and luscious rhythms on their thought-provoking new album Back to the Future. Like The Gorilaz of the jazz world, the new album sees collaborations with cutting edge artists like D Double E, Moor Mother, and more. One track that on the album that leaves a stain on your mind is 'Field Negus', featuring poetry from British-Nigerian poet Joshua Idehen. In 'Field Negus', Sons of Kemet set an unnerving atmosphere with deep brass and unpredictable drums rolls, whilst Joshua hauntingly narrates the horrific story of colonialism, slavery and oppression. Contrasting the history we were taught in school, Joshua's narrative shines light on the ongoing enslavement of black people in the current day. He pleads, 'How could we expect the dungeon keeper to make the rules and play fair?'. Becoming increasingly animated, he asserts, 'One knee on my back, one knee on my lungs, telling me to run sprint times in a marathon, keep calm and cary on, oh the audacity, the caucasity of it all...'. 'Field Negus' is a powerful narration that delves deep into a black perspective on colonialism, leaving a strong taste of change that's yet to come. -Ellie Rose-Davies
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