Review Summary: Nigerian-Australian rapper Remi Kolawole kills it on this brash album.
Remi needs no introduction. He gives you all you need to know about him on "Raw X Infinity". He masterfully unfolds his story amongst an assault of sound as the listener is challenged to better understand what he's about.
In "Sangria" we get an insanely catchy track which takes us through a day in the life of Remi's shenanigans. "F.O.H (For Opinionated Humans)" is the real introduction to the album and one of it's highlights. In the track, Remi basically gives those the middle finger that want to criticise him without being self-aware.
Mike Tyson gets a song named after him ("Tyson") and it's a dark, aggressive beast of a tune; however, the true fighting spirit of Remi is showcased on "Ode to Ignorance." The track is a passionate stance against racism in Australian culture. After picking out media examples and the inability of his white friends to understand; The young MC finally throws out his Father's struggles in finding work as a personal example:
"They said he's over-qualified
I said he's over colour-fied,
they said I pulled the race card outta the pack,
MAN YOU THINK I WANNA PLAY THAT ***..."
It's pretty hard to find faults on this LP. The track "No Enemy" doesn't really feel necessary, it's a shout out to everyone who's helped him on his journey, a nice sentiment sure but other tracks already do this. Some may find the crazy mix of acoustic instruments, electronic samples and African rhythms too much to process.
We can forgive the 23 year old for these minor flaws. What we get on Raw X Infinity is a ready made star, looking out for the little guy as well as possessing the charisma to talk himself up without sounding arrogant. The challenge for Remi will be to continue producing quality material like this for years to come.
