By ARABELLA FRACISCO
Arabella Fracisco’s original review first appeared in the November 2024 issue of The Southerner, a student-written and student-produced newspaper at South High School in Minneapolis. The Southerner can be found online at www.shsoutherner.net.
Editor’s Note: Last month the alley featured the first five tracks of Arabella’s thoughtful and inviting review of CHROMAKOPIA. This month we are treating readers to a peek of tracks 6 – 10.
I Killed You, the sixth track on the album, focuses on the complex relationship that Black people have with their hair. Society often frowns upon natural styles, leading many to “kill” their hair by cutting or straightening it. “But I guess the coils and kinks became an issue, therefore bitch I killed you with Jerrie’s and Mimis, I burnt you, I cut you, I filled you up with chemies.” The song captures the struggle between self identity and societal expectations, which can often erase the things that make us who we are.
In Judge Judy, the seventh track on the album, after meeting a girl named Judy at a cafe, Okonma talks about his relationship with Judy and his understanding and acceptance of who she is. Though the song ends with a letter from Judy in which she seems to be ending their relationship. Stating she feels a connection with Okonma but believes they would be better off not staying together due to personal issues impacting their relationship.
Sticky, the eighth track that features GloRilla, Sexyy Red, and Lil Wayne, is one of the more fun, and upbeat songs on the album. Okonma and his collaborators rap about embracing their success and individuality. The artists bring bold, humorous, and clever lines about relationships, life, and fame.
Take Your Mask Off is the ninth track on the album featuring Daniel Caesar and LaToiya Williams. This song follows the theme of growing up in a city around a diverse group of people from different cultures and origins. Okonma sings about living in the shadow of other people and having to wear a “mask” to fit in. The “mask” being a made up persona put on for the validation of others. The lines “I hope you find yourself, and I hope you take your mask off,” are sung not only for himself but for everyone listening.
The tenth track, Tomorrow, opens with Okonma’s mother asking him for grandchildren. Okonma is afraid of growing older, he’s not able to decide if he wants to put down the music career to have a family or continue pursuing music while also dealing with the societal pressures and the feeling of being behind. “My brodie had another baby that’s like number 2, my homegirl a knot tier, she like 32, they sharing pictures of these moments shit is really cute and all I got is photos of my rarri and some silly suits. Will I flip the switch and finally settle down?”
One more month to look forward to for the final tracks!
****Apology for April issue: the alley is very sorry and embarrassed that the full title of Arabella Fracisco’s original review was unintentionally cut off in the April issue. We wish we could magically fix every printed copy.
