Production across the board by the likes of Fraser T. Dave sounds conflicted, yo-yoing between happiness and sadness in an environment that breeds physical and emotional violence-“I don’t wanna be saved,” he repeats-but his low-barrel drawl is almost a soothing tonic to the pain he feels as he leads a life he describes as ‘psychotic’. Employing the thematic motif of a psychotherapist, the album is a prolonged therapy session for the young MC, with opening track “Psycho” an ominous introduction. Santan Dave has long carried the label of a conscious, intelligent and thoughtful storyteller, but throughout this set, he outdoes even himself, transforming sprawling anecdotes into concise soliloquies that don’t impede on the overarching message of each track.
However, “Black” was only the opening salvo across 11 tracks and 51 minutes, Psychodrama is an intense, moving and ultimately tenacious insight into loss, abuse and identity. The South London rapper made a mission statement in the lead up to his opus, following up his number one single “Funky Friday” with the racially-charged, celebratory “Black”-an anthem designed to empower our community but spun a different way by parts of a white populace with their racist knickers in a twist.
Of all the album releases so far this year, Dave’s was one of the most anticipated.
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