I used to cringe at the idea of international hip-hop before I understood why. It's awkward and uncomfortable to hear blatant imitation. For too long, my exposure to non-US rap had been folks basically trying to recreate a context they did not naturally have. That's a fail.
What is a win -- an epic win, even -- is when a foreign artist, or any artist really, can be influenced by sounds and ideas and then create their own context to draw you into. Ireland's MuRli does just that on his Surface Tensions EP.
Armed with a fiery urgency, the music is energetic, and MuRli goes in deep. He spits ferociously about past fantasies of marrying Badu and his identity as a black Irishman. Ideas and intricacies develop with repeated listens, and that's just another reason this project is a win.
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