A little while back I blogged about the exciting new collaboration between my pal Ra Scion and Motopony’s Daniel Blue. The track, “Constant,” is part ambient music, part spoken-word hip-hop and part, well, part awesome. Not only is it unlike anything in Ra Scion’s catalog, it’s unlike anything that is currently being done in local music.
The song marks an exciting change of pace for Ra, as does the record that features the song, “The Sickle and the Sword.” The record might be a bit off-putting for Common Market fans due to its ambient leanings, but anyone who has followed Ra Scion’s solo career post-CM will really dig the production, lyrics and overall sound of “The Sickle and the Sword.” One of the reasons why Ra Scion‘s fans will enjoy the album so much is because when listening to the record you get the feeling that Ra is onto something big with his new direction. And while I won’t pretend to fully comprehend what that something big might be, I will say that it seems clear he is taking a more spiritual approach to the music he’s making nowadays, which is something that isn’t found much local hip-hop (outside of Nissim, of course).
The video for “Constant” was recently released and the clip not only showcases the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, it also showcases the fact that Macklemore isn’t the only local white rapper who can create cinematic videos (zing!). Check out the clip above and be sure to catch Ra Scion perform his new material at the release show for “The Sickle and the Sword” Thursday night at Neumos ($12, 7:00). As a bonus, not only will the show be a release party for Ra’s new album, the proceeds from the show will go to helps local band La Luz, who were injured in a very serious bus accident last week. So get out of the house Thursday night and support local hip hop while also helping out a band in need. Buy your tickets here.
