New Albums: I have a LOT in the works for 2017. Good friend and long-time collaborator Kalyst and I have cooked up some heat already this year with "ButUrFly, Butterfly" along with the homey Mani.
Its successful reception by critics and fans has led us to the creation of an EP. Currently collaborating with artists like Lucas Dix (of BC x LD, Jellyfish Brigade and Hives Inquiry Squad) as well as more to be announced, the project is off-the-ground, and we're in full grind mode. Expect a release before Summer.
Many of you have been asking about solo Joe Cyrus albums; I have your answer: For the past two years I've been writing and compiling beats obsessively. I've grown leaps and bounds in my production style, and released The Space Between Thoughts in November, 2016. I eagerly awaited the return of my old partner-in-rhyme, P Cristo (of Beyond Flux), to no avail. Unfortunately, life's circumstances have kept that reunion from its completion, and I've had to make the decision to focus on my solo music for the time. However, inspiration is a flighty mistress, and I waded in my own lack of creativity for a little bit. Until recently, which leads me to the next part:
Conspiracies and Race: Those familiar with "Pluto" (my old moniker) are probably well aware that my political analysis in my early 20s was very much a reflection of studying international conspiracies and world government. I do not believe this is inherently WRONG; however, I do believe it is inherently INCOMPLETE. Unbeknownst to me (read white privilege) there was an entire level of racial analysis that had hitherto escaped my understanding due to the fact that I present to society as a white, cis male, and consequently enjoy all the benefits/privilege of such a status. Without the challenges of my partner, VMG, who is a badass with indigenous ancestry, I would probably have remained politically stagnant where many of my (white, hip hop) contemporaries continue, unaware of all the things we benefit from in society, but quick to tell the rest of the world how it works, and how it should work. The awareness of my own privilege and lack of racial understanding has also led to the realization that there are certain things in the world I'll NEVER "get", but it is also my duty to do everything within my means to "deprogram" myself and challenge my understanding as I continue on this journey of healing. I've also had to learn humility along the way, and realize this is a lesson I will continue to learn throughout the remainder of my days on earth because of the massive damage my own privilege has done to my personality. But I digress.
The immediate problem of all this learning is that I had to simultaneously accept two disparate worldviews in my own psyche: 1) that the world is controlled by elite bankers/conspirators who do NOT have my (or your) best interests in mind and 2) that I actually enjoy an ENORMOUS amount of privilege in the world because the agenda "those in control" are espousing is one of cis heteronormative white supremacist patriarchy. This may not seem like a dissonant worldview to hold; however, examined a little more closely it becomes apparent that my Self-identify as "revolutionary artist" is more or less a farce when held under the light of privilege; one cannot both claim to be antithetical to "the man", while simultaneously BEING "the man". And so it goes.
The corpus callosum for these opposing views has developed slowly through study, contemplation, and self-reflection. The groups I organize with have encouraged me to read such titles as Dialectical Approach to Culture by Seku Tore, Class Struggle in Africa by Kwame Nkrumah, and many more. Over time I've come to see cis heteronormative white supremacist patriarchy as a tool of the oppressors in power--whether clandestine or known--and a continuation of colonialism that can be traced back beyond even the crusades. As they say, still waters run deep, and we're just beginning to move the tides on the shores here in Amerikkka.
Trump's America: The forces of the past, whether conspiratorial, colonial, racist, occult, or a combination of any and all these things and more converge to form this moment in time. That is common ground we can all stand on. While I don't pretend the privilege or comforts I enjoy will be destroyed any time soon while a 70 year-old racist, white business shark "runs" Amerikkka I have continued to become keenly aware of the effects this presidency has had on close friends, family, and loved ones. Since the inauguration my partner has had a gun pulled on them. Shia Leboeuf's anti-Trump art installation was shut-down in NYC, re-opened here in Albuquerque, and again shut-down after gunfire late last night. ICE has begun rounding up immigrants who are unwanted by the current administration and deporting them. These things effect people very close to me in my life, and it's impossible for me to remain silent, refusing to leverage any of my privilege to combat these sinister forces. Thus, the birth of the new album.
Without over-sharing my new solo project is a concept album regarding the grooming of a young person who is slated for stardom, and "created" by the "powers that be" to be a major pop artist. The album covers a wide array of topics from contemporary pop culture and politics, back to CIA mind-control (monarch/mk ultra) programming, major events in our lifetimes like the death of Whitney Houston, to the everyday struggles of our own interpersonal psychology, depression, and anxiety. And of course, the rap game. Watch out for #aquarianrapcity sooner than you expect. As always, thanks for reading. I appreciate your time and attention. 1
