Pink Siifu is an artist I often enjoy listening to, kicking back, and catching a vibe, preferably during golden hour. With his new release, “NATION TYME!” you can tell Siifu has a lot to get off his chest. Honing his Gil Scott-Heron, Siifu spits some slick spoken word concerning the black plight. Siifu questions, “How long can I stand” I feel like this a metaphorical examination of how much more discrimination he can take. The closing lines of the spoken word “I seen it all I think” drive the message home that these acts have been happening for so long nothing can surprise him.
A brief snippet of poet Amiri Baraka introduces the laid back jazz inspired instrumentation produced by iiye. This is where we find Siifu creating intoxicating flows, expounding on the idea of capitalism in the shoes of a Black Man—in essence, not being paid what he deserves but having to make it work. Also, Siifu mentions the injustices in law enforcement with lines such as “It’s under the basement cause the pigs getting off”. The production slightly gets more uptempo, and so does Siifu cadence. This is where he shows off his technical abilities playing with rhyme schemes and wordplay.
The Livingston Matthews directed video pays homage to the 1960s with a modern twist. Utilizing film gave the visuals a sentiment of nostalgia. None-the-less, the video begins to take a more modern approach nearing the end. This track and visual are much needed and is a great way to start Black History Month!
