Canadian rapper Tremayne Stayoutlate is back with the conscious and heavy-hitting new single “A.P.O.W.N.” which speaks to inequities in society.
A common occurrence with music is the relevance songs can have on world events, politics and society as a whole. Music has the power to encapsulate a certain time period in an often 3 minute period. On a small scale, we hear songs every so often that bring us back to a moment in our lives we may or may not have fond memories of. However, the most popular examples of this occurrence have happened on a large scale.
Some of the most prominent instances of this are “Fuck Tha Police” by N.W.A which was released at a time where police brutality was becoming increasingly exposed, “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five which was of the first 10 rap sings to appear of the billboard 100. The song commented on the struggles of living in low-income communities. This was monumental at a time when the government tried to shade the public from the reality people faced living in the ghetto. To venture outside of rap, “Zombie” by the Cranberries is another ideal example. “Zombie” is an iconic rock song about the conflict Ireland faced, and the toll it took on Irish society. The release of these historical songs amplified the time and events they revolved around. The listeners were able to be educated on these events and the songs aided the public in feeling enough power to demand change.
As such releases opened up the gates for artists to be able to create more political music, it’s become increasingly normalized for these political issues to become “trends.” In the past, the release of a daring song would rock the world. However, currently we see issues phase in and out of popularity even if music is made to combat these issues.
An artist who has decided to oppose this notion is Tremayne Stayoutlate. He chose to delay the deliverance of his most recent song “A.P.O.W.N” in order to let the historical BLM movement peak. This was an intelligent move, since now it creates the opportunity to have more organic conversations. Furthermore, this new release of his will allow listeners to be refreshed on the ideas of equality.
“A.P.O.W.N” by Tremayne is a bouncy, high energy, modern day spiritual release. It resembles the likes of a Kanye West– Black skinhead, or a Jay Z x Kanye West – No church in the wild. Sonically mixing the power of gospel choir harmonies with a Chicago bounce inspired baseline “A.P.O.W.N.” intends to explore black vulnerability, while amplifying the gritty, passionate idea of persevering in a world with odds stacked against you.
Black is beautiful, Black is inspirational, Black is revolutionary, but Black is also under valued, misunderstood, and taken advantage of. Tremayne starts out the record with a famous Malcolm X quote that sets the tone for the record: “If you stick a knife in my back nine inches and pull it out six inches, that’s not progress. If you pull it all the way out that’s not progress. Progress is healing the wound that the blow made”.
Tremayne himself is quite the powerhouse just like the energy of “A.P.O.W.N”. He’s a self managed-artist who has perfected stage-presence to the point of being able to grace the same stages as 21 Savage, Rich Homie Quan and Tinashe. On top of his glorious talent as an artist, he is also A&R manager for his collective STAYOUTLATE and DJs in his freetime across the city. With the attention he’s received from big platforms such as Vice and Complex, we can’t wait to see more eyes on him.
Listen to “A.P.O.W.N.” by Tremayne Stayoutlate above.
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