kameelah waheed: america the beautiful ep
Francisco Espregueira
Today we introduce the powerful music of Kameelah Waheed, releasing the extraordinary America The Beautiful EP, which has been making waves for a couple of weeks. This record is curated by two labels. One half drops via Ramrock Red, delivering variants of the soul-leaning version of the title-track, and the other half via F*CLR, showcasing groovy house music textures.
Kameelah’s powerful spoken word lyrics are the main ingredient here. She pledges allegiance to the people of America - to the dreamers, the lovers, the thinkers, and the risk takers - on a double EP that is sonically connected to the amazing history of afro-american music. In America The Beautiful, Waheed skilfully delivers a conscious narrative alongside a rolling hip house beat, reminiscent of the works of Gil Scott Heron, who also conveyed his messages through a fusion of funk, soul, blues and fly lyrical content. Following the highly respectable, Holding On, also through Ramrock Records, this record marks this summer’s vibe - although conveying a feeling that it’s a song that will prevail through time. Available on Bandcamp, courtesy of Ramrock Red Records and F*CLR.