"we need mo color" — Pink Siifu
The music that Pink Siifu has made in recent years — soulful, cerebral, jazzy — has made him a standout in the lo-fi rap universe of Earl Sweatshirt, MIKE, Mavi, and others. Which is why his newest project NEGRO is such a delightfully surprisingly pivot sonically. It isn’t really rap music at all, though it’d likely be categorized as such because of his previous releases. The album is Siifu trying his hand at punk, allowing himself to express rage in a more unhinged way than rap’s parameters might allow. The album is truly best experienced as one cohesive piece, but if I had to isolate a track to highlight it’d be “we need mo color.” The song features ominous chords, light drum play, and vocalizations from Siifu that sound P-Funk-esque in delivery. It’s an exciting change of direction from an artist who’s never been hesitant about shapeshifting.