Honest. Humble. Inspiring. Dope. Over the past weekend my younger brother and I have had an on going discussion about today’s music, well as much of a discussion as one can have over iMessage. Music is dying. It has become so unoriginal that songs from past decades are now being auto-tuned to a new beat, some more successful in this attempt than others. The same lyrics are being replayed to a different base and tune. August Alsina’s new album This Thing Called Life has renewed my faith in music (I has literally had it on repeat over the past four days) and it was of this album that my muse attributed the opening words of this post.

August lets us into his mental; in fifteen tracks he invites us to walk through a vignette of his life. Of course he speaks of the grind and the loss that accompanies it. He exposes the conflict it presents and the challenges a young man faces in a desperate attempt to maintain his masculinity. August tells us that it is okay to cry, it is only through that pain can we grow (young men he’s speaking to you!). He talks to the youth, pleading them to aim higher than the dream they have been led to believe is their due. He asks that we become the change we want to see. And yes cuffing season is here so it is only fitting that some tracks are dedicated to the lovers.image

As his title suggests, this album is supposed to make us question life, both that of our own and the existence of those around us. August lets us into his world to invite us to explore our own, with appearances from the likes of Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Anthony Hamilton and Jadakiss. Some questions cannot be answered but if can we think on them, discuss them, then we are part way to finding their solution. If you haven’t already done so, go listen to the album. What thoughts does it stimulate? How does it make you feel? As always, leave your comments below, I would love to hear what you have to say.

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AUTHOR: Ama Badu (Senior Online Editor)

For reviews, premiers and red carpet events on the Afro-British scene, Ama is your go-to blogger. With an analytical mind and articulate tongue, she hopes to write articles that will get Africa (and indeed the world) discussing “real” issues and tangible solutions.

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