#147 - McKinley Dixon INTERVIEW

Video animation by: Big Flowers Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING The Plug (0:21). The Interview (2:53). If you weren’t already aware, hip-hop is in a great place. One of the biggest reasons why I feel this way is because the genre has become like a Republican’s nightmare… it’s borderless. It has become second nature for a rap album to feature countless different influences, incorporating multiple subsets of music within the hip-hop realm, and outside it as well. Richmond, Virginia-based McKinley Dixon is an artist who folks throughout the years would attempt to classify, as the "conscious rapper", and then after the "jazz rapper". But with artists like McKlinley Dixon, and his new album Beloved Paradise Jazz?!, whether the music is technically jazz rap, pop rap, big band rap is irrelevant. The mixture of these varying styles of music is so seamless, which makes the end-product defy previous formulas and classifications that your mind may want to tack on to it. McKinley simply makes good music, following his ambitious artistic vision wherever it takes him. So I am honoured to welcome McKinley Dixon to the show to speak about how he creates such rich eclectic music, his take on music’s ability to inspire change in the world, and the making of his fantastic new album, Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? McKinley’s passion for making holistic, narrative-driven albums (4:27). McKinley’s musical background and love for jazz (9:04). The role music can play in inspiring change (14:16). The musical vision for Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? (22:38). The concise nature of Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? (25:21). The key lyrical themes of Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? (30:16). How to support McKinley Dixon (35:54). Support McKinley Dixon here: https://www.mckinleydixon.com/  Buy Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? here: https://shop.cityslang.com/collections/mckinley-dixon  Follow McKinley Dixon on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/McKinleyDixon?s=20  Follow McKinley Dixon on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/freemckinley/?hl=en  -- Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/ Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast  Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at [email protected]