African Reality Album is the sophomore Album by Ugandan Hip Hop/Rap recording artist Ajo.
This Album resonates around a number of topics surrounding the African Continent and gives a vivid and emotional tale of stories, thoughts, fears and triumphs of Africa through Ajo’s looking glass.
This Album states clear and concise messages and cautions, with incredible citations of African history. Ajo talks about Malagasy uprising, Volta Bani, Timbuktu among many more highlights in African History.
If there is anything this Album is rich in, that is Knowledge of African History.
The album is broken down into two sections which are:
- AFRICAN
- REALITY
The African section mainly focuses on events that occurred in Africa from their early encounters with Foreigners. The story builds from early encounters, straight into conflict with these foreigners then into enslavement and winds up the section with a song about identity, where the African people are urged to rediscover who they are and embrace their origins and skin colour. This section is very expressive and narrative as it meant to try and reenact these events and tries to fit the listener in the shoes of the African people that lived at that time. It is filled with a see saw of emotions from fear, to fight and rebellions.
The Reality section brings the message to closer events that occurred on the African continent up to the present day. This section exploits topics ranging from colonialism, neo colonialism, politics and also delves into Ajo’s personal life with songs like Angels Die. This section borrows more from speech skits from various personalities such as Kwame Nkurumah, Patrick Lumumba and an interview between Dr. Hastings and Kamuzu Banda that closes the Album. It also focuses on solution based lyrics and urges the African people to be better than who they currently are.
To put it together this is a deep Album that cuts across the entire continent with its subject matter, perfectly laced lyrical patterns and exceptional delivery by Ajo.
Every song is masterfully crafted and detailed with strong African presence, whether in the Instrumentals or Ajo’s verses.
This is definitely one of the best Albums to drop in Africa this year.
You can take a listen of the whole album below.