It’s a tale of two mixtapes. Really, “mixtape” is the appropriate description. These are tracks crafted with heart and soul, nothing less. It’s music that must be heard.
Richmond, VA-based artist McKinley Dixon made his debut with the release Who Taught You To Hate Yourself (2016), followed by The Importance of Self Belief (2018). The contributions and collaborations on the latter are many (“Got so much family on here, you’d think it’s a reunion”), but all lead toward a singular, powerful voice, chronicling of the depth, the intensities – the realities – of the American Black experience. Dixon’s latest work features two tracks (“Anansi, Anansi,” featured on today’s AMM, and “Wit These”) reveling in the art of storytelling as an act of revolution, on a 7-inch release from label Saddle Creek’s Document series.
McKinley Dixon will be in Austin for a show tomorrow night at Cheer Up Charlie’s, 901 Red River, sharing the bill with Ama, Tasi and Daphne Tunes. Doors at 8 p.m. Recommended.
-Photography by Alec Gary.