Anyone will tell you that music that’s devoid of emotion probably won’t get far. People connect with songs that are filled with emotion because we remember the way things make us feel. You may listen to a song that’s in a different language but you can still sense what a song is about and as a result connect with it and remember it. The emotion in question could be happiness as is the case with Pharrell’s aptly titled hit “Happy”, anger as is the case with a lot of Eminem’s early music, love as is the case with probably the vast majority of music out there, since that is the number one topic people sing about, and many other emotions.
Rap has always been known to be an emotionally charged form of music from early records. For instance The Message by Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five is one of rap’s early politically charged songs which has elements of disdain and slight anger towards the establishment. The face of emo rap has changed over the years, the most prominent example probably being Eminem. This trait is displayed in many of his songs such as Kim and When I’m Gone to mention a few.
In recent years Hopsin has risen up to take his place within the reigns of emo rap and he has been compared to Eminem on occasion. However, I believe that the new king of emo rap is California native Phora. Phora stands for Peace & Happiness Over Riches & Agony. His name says a lot about his outlook on life.
He hasn’t had mainstream success but has amassed a huge underground following. He has released four studio albums independently to date. If there’s one thing to be said about the emcee it’s that he knows how to express emotion better than 99% of rappers. He can go from anger to melancholy to elation to regret and then disparagement in the same song. The past few years he has grown into a creative force and the new face of emo rap. He’s not afraid of touching on feelings that other rappers may look at as weak which makes him relatable.
I first came across the emcee in a Team Back Pack cypher a few years ago. He rapped a verse from his song Catharsis and a few of his lines struck me. I didn’t take to him immediately though. I looked him up nearly a year later when I was looking for new music to listen to and I was blown away. The first song of his that I listened to is My Story which as the title implies is an autobiographical narrative of his life. His is not the type of music you want to listen to at a celebration. It is rather depressing but also simultaneously therapeutic. He may not be the most lyrically gifted rapper but no one can touch him when it comes to conveying emotion. In one of his songs he said “my voice is as painful as Pac’s in his prime” which is actually not a stretch. Coupled with his choice of lyrics he selects beats that evenly match his delivery which is key.
Not only does Phora express himself though song also releases a crapload of music videos and my oh my the visuals are a beauty to behold. If you don’t believe me take a look at the video for Deeper Than Blood below. It’s hard to watch without being touched. So if you feel like listening to something other than what the mainstream feeds you, head over to his YouTube channel and carry some tissues with you; you will be touched…I’m just saying.
