Oakland deserves to be proud to call this rapper their own; an artist with authentic presence and a hooking performance that’s equally engaging as it is refreshing, Pandaraps needs to be on your radar and playlists immediately.
One certain song from his most recent album release, KNEE-RAY, has been a repeat outlet, a sonic oasis, and feels like a much-needed witness to the atrocities of the modern world.
Their track, “accumulation of wealth, that’d kill the fear inside,” has spent the last few months since its release making the heavy lifting of art look like an easy, natural form of movement for this artist.
From wealth inequality and transphobia to whiteness and genocide, Pandaraps finds a way to connect to those who are struggling just to get by in what’s become an unnatural hellscape at the hands of white supremacy and capitalism:
“Holler louder if you ain’t got a savings
Someone save me from a paycheck
Ooh, another loophole for modern day slavery.”
Beyond the economic devastation of their neighbors and those who can relate, Pandaraps speaks to the violence trans children face in his own words…
“Yeah it’s all gravy
especially for the trans children
growing up in a world that say they not existent
Mmm, pour a warm cup of hatred in the morning
Watch a reel of a genocide in action and ignore it”
… and the white narcissism that’s been the not-so-subtle underpinning to these issues at large:
“Didn’t you notice
The white folks in the suburbs think they’re the new resistance
The young men got lost to a new addition..”
And the cycle comes back again, as musically arm in arm with the cycles Pandaraps speaks honestly about in this track, just as the track began:
“Sitting on the dock, dream of money
Dream kill us all, but hungry is hungry”
The albeit catchy, kicked-back, and rhythmic lo-fi type beat is more than just a beautiful musical component; juxtaposed to the clever lyrics on the very real and harrowing struggles of the modern world, Pandaraps uses the titular title to drive home a point just as powerful as its cleverly timed placement:
“Accumulation of wealth, that’d kill the fear inside…
… Right?”
Artists that have their own way of speaking to the issues that live in their very bones and plague our communities just can’t be manufactured. From their earlier releases like Femboy to their latest, Pandaraps is actively creating art that highlights the raw, real life we need to address as a collective while exploring captivating play and creative edge. It doesn’t hurt that the beats are gorgeous and lush, but it’s not just in the sound where this artist shines in authenticity; Pandaraps shows up to the mic with a sharp mind, a beautiful heart, and a no-bullshit lens that sees the forgotten people around them.
For fans of: Noname, Childish Gambino, Casey Cope, Qamp, Lo-Fi Rap, Hip-Hop, Alt Rap, Nerd Rap
Written by Samson Winsor
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