East-London duo Makola return fresh from the release of feel-good afro-funk tune ‘This is London’, with their incendiary new single ‘Black Man Statues’, set to drop 25th November 2016.
Makola have created a diverse sound that powerfully forges influences from grime, afro and hip-hop, whilst also lyrically touching on the ever present politics that mould a city. Having debuted as Mistajam’s Inbox Fresh, and spent two weeks in Spotify’s influential ‘Grime Shutdown Playlist’, ‘Black Man Statues’ is a single rife in culture and has since been playlisted by the influential Radio 1 DJ. Rapper K Mensah rolls out a sharp stream of urban consciousness around Pete H’s thunderous bass lines accompanied by a fanfare of triumphant, rapid-fire horn stabs. The chorus has Mensah asking the listener “Do you feel me?” over the punchy production that epitomizes the infectious energy of urban London, underpinned by a core of afro chants that bring to the fore Mensah’s Ghanaian roots and his influences taken from the highlife sound.
‘Black Man Statues’ effortlessly embodies the endearing but gritty side of London, calling it both a ‘poison chalice’and ‘a wonderland’. The lyrics show feelings that are present in all generations; the desire to stay afloat in an unforgiving city. The idea behind the title is a concept close to the duo’s hearts, with the release of the single coming at a particular time of significance for black culture in Britain. Historic England’s recent move to give three new black history listing to statues is a sign that the voice of black people in Britain is beginning to be heard and the exact reason why the track was written – “One day we might see black man statues”. As the duo rightly say “It is important that in history books to come, every flavour of culture given to this planet is represented and remembered. We are all black man statues.”
Makola have already won huge support from the likes of Radio 1’s DJ Target, Mistajam, Phil Taggart and Beats 1 DJJulie Adenuga who hailed their debut single ‘This is London’ as one of her ‘’tracks of the summer’’, adding it to her ‘Big 3’, as well as it being on Apple Music UK’s ‘A-list tracks of the week’. Makola are continuing to prove they are a force to be reckoned with.
