MALCOLM London, called the Gil-Scott Heron of this generation by Cornel West, is a young Chicago poet, performer, activist, and educator.
Malcom London: A poet and an activist, the phrasing of Malcolm London feels half from a podium and half from a stage. Messages of love and rebellion, community and loneliness, London’s 2016 record Opia holds a heavily weighted tone throughout, a mix of collaborations and solo tracks with a consistent, experimentally dark sound. He doesn’t hide behind spoken word roots, there are times of intensity (“Get It Right”, “Take Your Time”) that rely as much on rapping ability as songwriting. Most of Opia is more ambient, minimal synth beats to encourage London’s sing/rap presence. His collaborations fit his invitees too, embracing spacey R&B on “House Party” with How To Dress Well & Fembot and contemporary jazz with Nico Segal and Kiara Lanier. It’s a rock solid record needle to needle and a new discovery from an evolutionary well of Chicago musicians and lyricists.
