Jeg indrømmer gerne, at jeg havde mine tvivl undervejs: ville det nogensinde lykkes at komme i mål med kampagnen til Leftovers2015? Da vi var halvejs igennem kampagnens levetid så det mildest talt kulsort ud - få havde været forbi for at donere, og kun en svedende lav procentdel af kampagnens samlede mål var hentet ind. Men hen imod slutningen tog fanden i jer! Den sidste halvandenuge - og især da lønnen gik ind i starten af april, viste sig helt afgørende. Flere var forbi for at donere for anden gang, imens andre jagtede penge hos venner og bekendte for at kunne skrabe sammen til større beløber. Det har været fantastisk at følge denne entusiasme og det engagement, der har forårsaget, at vi endte med at komme i mål. Det synes tydeligt for mig, at hiphop betyder virkelig meget, for virkelig mange mennesker. Jovist, jeg endte også selv med at donere en klækkelig sum, men tanken om, at projektet ikke skulle bestå var lodret ubærlig. - Og dertil er LEFTOVERS2015 alt for fantastisk til, ikke at skulle se dagens lys. Så hermed nummeret "Last Song" med 2015's uden tvivl mest oversete rapper Jay IDK, fra 2015's uden tvivl mest oversete album SubTrap.
"Last Song"
"I used to rap for all the inmates in the dorms and the cells /
They said I had bars, ironic, but I'm being for real /
They said you got a flow like Lupe and a style like Pharrell /
So when you make bail, you better take your ass out and tell your story"
Som 17-årig ryger Jay IDK ind for at ruske tremmer, angiveligt for at have solgt stoffer. Stemplet som gemen drug dealer, et kriminelt udskud. Endnu en ung afroamerikansk mand fra underklassen, tabt i statistikken. Foranledningen var dog anderledes en sædvanlig. For Jay IDK var stofsalget det eneste middel til at nå hans mål: musikken. Et 9-til-5 arbejde kastede ikke nok penge af sig til beats, udstyr, studie-tid og teknikere, så for at sikre de fornødne omkostninger til at kunne realisere sin drøm, var Jay IDK nødt til at ty til gaden og sælge stoffer.
Det er denne historie, der udspiller sig på SubTrap. Jay IDK selv, eller The Plug som han også bliver kaldt, agerer hovedperson og centrum i et større spindelvæv af karakterer og begivenheder, der er viklet ind i hinanden. Det er intelligent fortalt, skarpt flettet sammen og fortalt i så klare billeder, at store dele af historien tydeligt er fortalt ud fra et biografisk perspektiv.
"Last Song" runder albummet af og sammenfatter historiens overordnede tema om at gøre alt hvad der kræves for at komme i mål med sine drømme og ambitioner. Nummeret står glimrende for sig selv, uden for albummets kontekst, da der ikke figurerer andre af historiens karakterer end Jay IDK selv, der faktisk rapper fra en meta-position hævet over fortællingens kronologi. Det er samtidig en tydeligt frustreret og indigneret Jay IDK, der rapper om musikbranchens mange faldgruber og brodne kar; om hvor mange falske intentioner, luskede skjulte agendaer og bondefangende kynikere man bliver udsat for som kunstner med hjertet på rette sted. Tydeligt forbitret, men stadig med klokkeklar artikulation og mesterligt behersket stemmeføring, rapper Jay IDK sig igennem sangens tre vers, over et højst melodisk og dybtfølt klaverspil tilsat tætte trommer. Hen imod slutninger bliver der endda spædet til med klingende citar og stort anlagt kor, der virkelig tager kegler og sætter en stor fed streg under sangens dictum om at bevare håbet og motivationen uanset volumen af modgang. Og så gør det selvfølgelig heller ikke noget, at der er drysset et par lyriske Kanye West referencer rundt omkring på tracket.
SubTrap, der i øvrigt betyder Suburban trap, og som endvidere indbefatter hiphop-sub-genren "trap music with substance", er voldsomt anbefalelsesværdig, og kan erhverves for en besynderligt billig penge via iTunes. Lyt til "Last Song" her - så får du sikkert lyst til at støtte Jay IDK efterfølgende.
Now I don't mean to hate
But these niggas ain't great
These niggas ain't hungry
there's crumbs left on they plate
These niggas don't know how it feel
To see you buildin' thousands of fans
Then come to find out half of 'em fake
'Cause you thought that you paid for real fucking promotion
But them niggas weren't giving a fuck about your emotions
No them niggas were just tryna use your dream as a steam to power they selfishness
For a year I put 'em in motion
Y'all thought it'd stop me from going
He been rappin' and flowin'
He been shoulda been tourin'
He been shoulda been on
He been shoulda been rich
He been shoulda had a deal
Guess the only 'been' I did was keepin' trill
A lot of these niggas not real
A lot of rappers sign but they claimin' they indie like they ain't really got deals
Used to be blind 'till I took the time to find
That these niggas is only beatin' me cause they push like a car going down-hill
So I'mma take my 150 fans
That I build by my self with my business plan
Tried to play the starving artist and fucking businessman
Feed them niggas great music and hope that they tell their friends
And maybe it'll expand
Maybe I'll feel the feeling og being a fucking man
Maybe then
Fuck that - maybe it was never in the plans I will
Don't need no co-signs or none of your bullshit deals
For real
This song's so you remember me
Got love for all my enemies
This one is for all my everythings
The broken promises I never made
This one is for all my better days
The people looking for a better raise
I pray this song'll be the remedy
At least I hope that you'll remember me
If you're a blogger that I met when politicin' we build
If you want dollars for postin' me on your site then I chill
See you can keep your post if your love for my music ain't real
The money that I'm making for flippin' all these Adderall pills
Is to continue making music
Maybe make me a mill
Maybe see Sway in the Morning, Charlamagne, XXL
I gotta pay for visuals before I pay my phonebill
But find a way to keep my service and the internet still
That's how I know that I am not gonna fail
My love for rapping is real
I studied niggas like Melle Mel, Big L and LL
I used to bump The Chronic heavy back when I was in jail
That was my bible when I felt like I was going through hell
I used to rap for all the inmates in the dorms and the cells
They said I had bars, ironic but I'm being for real
They said "you got the flow like Lupe and a style like Pharrell
So when you make bail, you better take your ass out and tell your story"
This song's so you remember me
Got love for all my enemies
This one is for all my everythings
The broken promises I never made
This one is for all my better days
The people looking for a better raise
I pray this song'll be the remedy
At least I hope that you'll remember me
Number eleven on Graduation, I felt The Glory
The pressure's the reason none of this shit I make is boring
The reason why I put all my heart, all of my time, all of my effort in the making
Sure you know my story
I never knew my father, fuck it I don't need no worry
I never graduated, never told my mom I'm sorry
'Cause I ain't trying to
I'm tryna do a substitute that's different from throwing a fucking tassle like the rest of you
I pray The Lord that my time never ends
'Cause this life has to end
It don't come back again
Oh no no
And when it comes I won't take it for granted
My faith and my passion
Is why it's gon' happen for sure
This song's so you remember me
Got love for all my enemies
This one is for all my everythings
The broken promises I never made
This one is for all my better days
The people looking for a better raise
I pray this song'll be the remedy
At least I hope that you'll remember me