You may not have heard of Lowkey. Not because you don’t appreciate good music, and not because he doesn’t produce good music, but because of his insistence on remaining an underground hip-hop artist. Lowkey rejects record labels left, right and centre so he can write what he wants, say what he wants and rap what he wants. It is this feeling of lyrical freedom that underpins a lot of his music in his new album Soundtrack to the Struggle. It arrives after a period of riots, cuts, invasions, wars, bombings and corruption; the album addresses all of this plus more.
Lowkey feeds off the political unrest and injustice from all around the world, and you often find yourself having to do a quick search of Google to check just what historical event he is mentioning. It is true that his new album is largely based on facts, but this delivers a powerful impact on the listener that really makes you stand to attention.
I went to see Lowkey in Leeds during his tour to promote his new album. He was joined in Leeds by the MCs Logic, Awate and Crazy Haze, as well as the poet and journalist Jody McIntyre. Jody was dragged out of his wheelchair during a peaceful protest in London last year by the police, and his witty and sharp poetry on domestic political matters were met with rapturous applause.
Some of the tracks that Lowkey performed included the aggressive ‘Terrorist?’, in which he switches perspective round to argue that the US and UK’s involvement in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan could arguably be called terrorism. ‘Dear England’ is a passionate response to August’s riots in London and is also an example of Lowkey’s skill as an MC as well as a lyricist. He switches his flow mid-verse and is constantly keeping the audience involved and intriguied.
What struck me the most about Lowkey’s performace was his genuine desire to act upon his words and to connect with the crowd. He doesn’t claim to have any fans, but instead supporters. Afterwards, he spends at least three hours chatting with members of the audience, who leave with a real sense that some hip-hop artists out there do care about the music they are producing.