Clwb Ifor Bach
Cardiff
Wed 19 Oct
‘Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. War is peace.’ These are the three mantras of the dystopian government of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. Statements that represent the hypocrisy of the government and the blind faith of the masses. Oxymoronic concepts that British hip-hop artist Akala is more than familiar with. His third studio album named Doublethink is a quintessential work in an understanding of Akala as an artist. The MOBO award winning rapper returned to Cardiff this week to display his own concoction of anti-establishment hip-hip, soul, punk and even poetry, to the Welsh public. The the 10th Anniversary Tour of more of an idea than a performer. Akala uses music to express his disillusion with the corporate world, contemporary government and societal discrimination. It was immediately apparent whilst attending the performance that Akala has a loyal and zealous following. A fan base that all seemed to know every bar of each track.
The music was synchronised masterfully with an evocative film reel that consisted of images and clips of activists, along with the likes Muhammed Ali and Bruce Lee. However, another aspect of the visual projection that became apparent was that a large majority of the tracks performed were accompanied by a coinciding music video with a nostalgic aesthetic. The outstanding factor in this was that Akala was performing with such precision that as he rapped each word it matched the timing of the visual. Akala is fundamentally aware, yet slightly breaches the boundaries of conscious rap especially considering the strong elements of punk in his music.
Towards the end of the performance Akala bolted off the stage and returned dressed as a character that was somewhat reminiscent of the villains from Trading Places. The satirical alter-ego named ‘Pompus Peterson’ with a top hat and a cane came onto the stage spluttering the words “Welsh scum”. At one point in the night, following a remark concerning Donald Trump, Akala pointed out to the crowd that: “this is isn’t a comedy routine”. Nevertheless, his performance as ‘Pompus Peterson’ was inundated with broad political irony and quick witted remarks on the tracks, such as: “Speak proper English, you’ll go further/ The accent of legitimate murder”. The jabs in the face of the upper-crust of the western world continued for a short while until ‘Pompus Peterson’ alighted and Akala returned.
The night was then, all very suddenly, coming to an end as Akala left the stage the crowd began chanting: “We want more!”. Following a murmur of disappointment from the fans, Akala came bursting back onto the stage and performed his classic gritty track: Shakespeare. A track that everybody seemed to know the words to even the less avid and zealous members of the crowd. Finally, Akala performed Find No Enemy a song that demands an emotive reaction from its listeners. Immediately resulting in a calming atmosphere in the crowd and lighters were held to the ceiling in appreciation for the track. Ultimately Akala’s performance was a testament to his ten years in the music industry in his masterful display of precision, flow, versatility all containing thoughtful and relevant content.
words CAMPBELL PROSSER