At first glance, Akala is someone straight outta hip hop central casting. The often angry child of a broken home, his schooling was punctuated by rows with teachers. After teenage years spent playing football (he was on the schoolboy books of both West Ham United and Wimbledon), he dropped out of college. Aged 12 he saw his best friend's brother get a meat cleaver in the back of the head while sitting in the chair in a barber's shop, a tale touched on in the DoubleThink track Find No Enemy. "What interests me, looking back now, is that nobody stopped cutting hair," he says. "Even though I hadn't seen that before, I just accepted. I'd heard so much and knew so many people who'd been shot or stabbed that it was just a part of life."
So far, so rapper-backstory-clichéd. But it's in the gaps between these de rigeur hip hop CV bullet-points that the real Akala can be found. His step-father, a stage manager at London's Hackney Empire, would sometimes take the pre-teen Akala with him to work: so the wide-eyed kid got to stand in the wings, soaking up Sarafina! and Shakespeare. Despite being put in a special-needs class at six years old - he still doesn't know why - he fed a ferocious intellect with self-taught history and philosophy. His response, at 13, to racist remarks by a teacher was to write to the headmaster and governors to complain.
DoubleThink is partly a concept album inspired by the three classic novels of dystopian fiction: George Orwell's 1984, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and Yevgeny Zamyatin's We, "with a little bit of The Matrix in there too." The record takes its overall tone - the edgy paranoia, the sizzling menace, the spine-tingling tension - from these literary classics and transmutes their atmospheres into musical form. From Welcome to Dystopia's static-laden distortion to Peace's simple, sparse piano accompaniment, via the electro-funk keyboards and metal guitar riffs of Faceless People, the breadth of musical ambition is matched by the rich variety of topics Daley addresses.
“The only way we can ever change anything Is to look in the mirror and to find no enemy”
Race, politics, self-deception and social conditioning are among the recurring themes on a record that presents its concerns as barbed comedic satire. But in tackling those topics Daley finds himself confronting the issue that defined his MOBO Award-winning debut, It's Not a Rumour and the acclaimed follow-up, Freedom Lasso: lamenting the decline of hip hop as a social and political force, angrily restating the genre's credentials as the best, most powerful means of delivering what KRS-ONE called Edutainment.
Edutainment is something Daley knows more about than most. As well as releasing music on his own Illa State record label, Akala (the name means "immovable") is a teacher himself. He recently set up the Hip Hop Shakespeare Company, running successful Bardic workshops in schools. His prowess at communicating effectively with young people has won recognition in unlikely circles: among recent clients for his consultancy work has been the organising committee of the 2012 London Olympics.
His music has always reflected Akala's personal struggles - against ignorance, against racism's divide-and-conquer imprimatur, and against the dumbing-down of the musical form that helped provide him with the answers he needed. "I remember when Wu-Tang Forever came out," he says, casting his mind back to 1998, and the second LP from the Staten Island collective. "And I remember going to buy books because of references I heard on there. I literally studied that album and went away and learned because of it. They weren't some obscure, underground rap group - that was the first rap album to go to Number One in the UK. What made hip hop powerful was its education, its culture, its musicality and its intelligence. Yet immediately after that, it went from being about history and philosophy and culture to being - literally - money, cash, and hoes."
Indeed, Akala's refusal and inability to conform to prevailing stereotypes means that his records are largely ignored by the sections of the media that proclaim to speak authentically of the "urban experience": in that regard, he stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Saul Williams and Gil Scott Heron, artists who he considers inspirations as well as heroes. But while the message is vital, Akala knows that it has to be delivered wittily and attractively, too: edutainment is mostly entertainment, after all.
So DoubleThink distils these messages in cogent and weighty blasts of musically fierce, lyrically adroit hip hop, but it's also an excitable, effervescent listen. There are, of course, some harrowing moments: in Yours and My Children, a track reflecting three months Daley spent in Brazil, he talks about favela children being killed by police; and that meat cleaver to the head in Find No Enemy isn't the only violent image on a record that refuses to pull any punches. But Akala's unquenchable appetite for intricate wordplay and his teacher's instinctive awareness that heavy topics need to be got across lightly mean that, despite the often serious points, the record is an affirmative and often explosively joyful experience.
There's XXL, which relentlessly chips away at the clichés but has some fun with them at the same time; Peace, a collaboration with the classical pianist Paul Gladstone Reid, MBE, which provides musical and atmospheric contrast to the juddering electro-rooted rap that sits either side of it; and, right at the end - the thought Akala wants you to take away from the album - there's Not That Serious, a jaunty slice of popped-up '80s-style buzz, poking fun at Akala's furrowed-brow reputation without suggesting you shouldn't care about the issues he wants you to consider. At the risk of descending into another one of those pesky clichés, there really is something here for everyone.
Akala touches on race, class, sexism, history, war, hip-hop culture and what it is to live in a world one knows to be inherently unequal, yet rounds it all off not with accusations or anger but inward self-analysis.
"My mum's a white Scottish woman and my dad's a black Jamaican, so for my life not to be about bringing people together would almost be a contradiction in terms," he says. "I want to reach everybody but do it truthfully and honestly. That's got to be your ultimate aim as an artist - that's what the best artists do. I'm not saying I'm there yet, but that's what I aspire to."
2) Lithuanian industrial band on Findesiecle media label.
Carried Away
Akala Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Carry one more poor lost soul,
Carry them things every single day
Cause it makes him feel safe
Cause he carry on them ways, screw face
Love the game-reppin' his estate,
Talk tough look straight in his face,
Carrying deep pain self-hate,
It's logical daddy got carried away,
Not married away, just didn't stay
Coward carried his son to this fate,
His boys carrying weight in a wooden box can't stand straight,
They was getting outta the game,
But look fate she don't wait
Now the woman in the front row, her face t show no pain,
But her brain went insane on the day the news came,
Stare into space, face numb,
The boy getting carried, she carried 9 months
[Chorus:]
When this world strip me naked, I turn and
I face it,
And really believe I have the strength to change it,
I'm crazy, it's blatant sometimes I get carried away
When this world strip me naked, I turn and I face it,
And really believe I have the strength to change it,
I'm crazy, it's blatant sometimes I get carried away
One more body bag getting carried back,
From the war zone where they carry straps,
Where little kids is attacking tanks cause they carry no fear of the man,
All they know here is they land
And a hero, gotta make a stand,
So they roll cold with it in their hand,
Let bang on the big bad man,
But this particular soldier never move colder
Never enrolled to blow no homes up
Felt that life had carried him under
Chose to phone the number
The army gives you training,
Nothing they say could really explain it,
Sign them t papers, enslavement,
Now you're a tool to carry their hatred,
Rob, steal, strip a nation
All he wanted was qualifications
So he could carry his family places,
Better than those that he was raised in
Never really thought, he'd ever have to go to war,
Now who's gonna tell his kids daddy can't carry them no more
[Chorus]
The song Carried Away by Akala talks about carrying the weight of one's actions and choices in life. The first verse speaks about a person who is deeply involved in the game, and carries with him the ways of the street, showing a tough exterior with a screw face. They carry the weight of their family and deep pain and self-hate within, which has been passed down to them from their father, who got carried away with the lifestyle and abandoned them. The boys in his crew who were trying to get out of the game were unfortunately not able to escape their fate, and were carried away in a wooden box. The mother of one of them is carrying the pain of losing her son, who she carried for nine months, and is now carrying to his final resting place. The chorus reflects the theme of the song, which is about carrying the weight of life and trying to change one's circumstances.
The second verse talks about a soldier who carries the weight of a war-torn country on his shoulders, where little kids attack tanks, and heroes are needed to make a stand. The soldier carries a gun in his hand, but he's not a cold-blooded killer. He joined the army hoping to better himself and his family, but he's now a tool of hatred, forced to rob, steal and strip a nation. He never thought he'd have to go to war, and now he's carried away from his family, unable to carry them with him anymore.
Overall, the song is about the burden that people carry with them, whether it's from their family, society, or their own choices. It's a reminder that change is possible, but it takes strength and courage to face the weight of one's situation and try to make a difference.
Line by Line Meaning
Another hearse roll up slow,
A funeral procession approaches at a slow pace.
Carry one more poor lost soul,
The corpse of a soul is being carried one last time.
Carry them things every single day
The pain and sorrow of the loss is carried every day.
Cause it makes him feel safe
Carrying the past makes him feel secure.
Cause he carry on them ways, screw face
The grim demeanor of the past is carried on.
Love the game-reppin' his estate,
He glorifies the violent and dangerous life of his neighborhood.
Talk tough look straight in his face,
He has a confrontational nature and is not afraid.
Carrying deep pain self-hate,
The pain from the past brings self-hatred.
Carry fam, so he carry weight,
He carries the weight of his family's future.
It's logical daddy got carried away,
It's reasonable that his father was also lost to violence.
Not married away, just didn't stay
His father did not leave due to marriage, but instead abandonment.
Coward carried his son to this fate,
The actions of his father led this son to a tragic outcome.
His boys carrying weight in a wooden box can't stand straight,
His friends and peers carry his coffin, unable to stand tall under the weight of their grief.
They was getting outta the game,
They were attempting to leave the violent lifestyle behind.
But look fate she don't wait
But life does not wait for anyone's plans.
Now the woman in the front row, her face to show no pain,
The grieving mother attempts to hide her pain from others.
But her brain went insane on the day the news came,
Internally, the mother is consumed by grief on this heartbreaking day.
Stare into space, face numb,
She is numbed by the tragedy and unable to process the reality.
The boy getting carried, she carried 9 months
She carried her child for nine months, and now she carries his memory forever.
When this world strip me naked, I turn and I face it,
When the challenges of life leave him vulnerable, he confronts them head-on.
And really believe I have the strength to change it,
He has hope and faith that he can overcome obstacles and make a difference.
I'm crazy, it's blatant sometimes I get carried away
He acknowledges that he can get emotionally carried away in pursuit of his goals.
One more body bag getting carried back,
Another deceased soldier is being transported in a body bag.
From the war zone where they carry straps,
The soldiers carry weapons in the dangerous war zone.
Where little kids is attacking tanks cause they carry no fear of the man,
Children in the war zone attack tanks fearlessly, due to the horrors they have witnessed.
All they know here is they land
The children only know their war-torn homeland.
And a hero, gotta make a stand,
The soldiers are seen as heroes who must fight for their nation.
So they roll cold with it in their hand,
The soldiers prepare for battle with cold detachment, gripping their weapons tightly.
Let bang on the big bad man,
They fight boldly against their enemy.
But this particular soldier never move colder
This soldier is different and does not become callous and unfeeling.
Never enrolled to blow no homes up
He never intended to harm innocent civilians.
Felt that life had carried him under
He felt that his life has been a failure.
Chose to phone the number
He makes a choice to call for help.
The army gives you training,
The army provides training for its soldiers.
Nothing they say could really explain it,
No amount of training could fully prepare a soldier for the horrors of war.
Sign them t papers, enslavement,
Signing up for the army can be seen as giving up one's freedom and becoming a slave to the government's will.
Now you're a tool to carry their hatred,
Soldiers become pawns in the war machine, carrying out the government's conflicts and hatred.
Rob, steal, strip a nation
War involves taking from other nations and destroying their livelihoods.
All he wanted was qualifications
All this soldier wanted was education and skills.
So he could carry his family places,
He hoped to provide for his loved ones and bring them to better places.
Better than those that he was raised in
He wanted to improve upon his own upbringing.
Never really thought, he'd ever have to go to war,
He never imagined he would be forced to fight in a war.
Now who's gonna tell his kids daddy can't carry them no more
The soldier's children will never again be carried by their father, who has been lost to the horrors of war.
Contributed by Isaac Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@shayz6801
I'm 15 I thank God everyday he brought this man in my life as my role-model. Big respect to Akala he's like the Uncle we all know we need.
@vincenzo1046
Fact bro!
@squarepeg9484
He’s a fantastic role model for any young man, so articulate, intelligent, interesting, and genuine. Reading his Natives book right now (I’m an old white woman)
@CH-bp6mc
Did you read his book mate?
@stopitnow7762
For you to even recognise that, at 15 years old, is in itself such a big thing. I don't know you, but I'm proud of you family!
@jackchallis9456
@Shayraz Shayaan Ahmed makes me happy that young people such as yourself are finding akala as a positive, educated role model in such a materialistic, fake world. Well done for seeing life with your eyes open, respect to you ✌️
@kyllthomas-cole1758
Pleasure working with u akala, been waiting for the music video to this song for a long while, I'm happy that my first acting job was in the music video for one of my favourite songs by my favourite artist.
@Humble1805
wow, did you act in this song?
@iTylerHimself
Did the "I'm happy that my first acting job was in the music video..." part not make the answer to that pretty obvious?
@farxanabdullahi5677
+Humble1805 and the pleasure working with you