Cobe Obeah's Message Is 'Low Key'

For the sake of argument, let's just assume that I am older than most people reading this right now. That being said, I grew up with a certain "knowledge of self," as it was popularly called. While African motifs pop up on fashion runways every 5 years or so, there was a time where these motifs were not only fashionable but integral to the beginning of the spiritual, political, and racial consciousness of many of my peers. As Hip Hop became Rap--well foreshadowed by Q-Tip back on "Everything Is Fair"--and commercialism dominated the musical and cultural landscapes, our consciousness has sunken to an all-time low. Enter Cobe Obeah. Born to Nigerian parents in Los Angeles, leave it to someone with these cultural roots to remind us of a time when Hip Hop could both be preachy without sounding annoying. On "Low Key," yes, there is a Malcolm X quote at the beginning and end (see: "Self-Destruction"), but it's apropos and not cloying for attention. It's hard to believe that such confidence could come from a 20-year-old, but then again leave it to the unjaded youth to remind us of what's important. This is probably the best encapsulation of what Black History Month should be about in song form that I've heard a very long time. [H/T:OKP]