Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Dark Dayz is the expression of a post 911 generation, which is ‘struggling’ to define itself in an age of critics. The rhyming is not “nu skool” but Blakstone have achieved a fine balance between ‘content’ and ‘flow,’ a position which has, so far, evaded many past UK attempts at credible ‘Islamic Hip Hop’. Now alongside other UK groups this genre is taking centre stage.
The lyrics shoot from the hip on a mulitude of subjects, from America’s ‘War on terror’, to the Hijab ban and Britain’s take on the Muslim community. So complex are the subjects that you can’t help feeling a sequel is fast approaching.
Dark Dayz sees itself as a ‘peoples’ album. Blakstone, on the face of it, seem to have no institutional or political allies. “Traitors”, the second track on this ‘rollercoaster’, is a protest march against the Muslim rulers. Not bereft of humour the chorus chants “Get em out!” around a verbal dissection of various Heads of State including Pakistan’s Pervez Musharraf whose verse begins “ You’re just a wannabe Bollywood Star / Playing a Tsar / Tipsy on whisky at the bar / That’s your repertoire….”. “Heroes”, another sure favourite, describes the plight of Muslims who have dared to speak out against the oppression of their rulers and suffered as a consequence.
Other notable tunes include “Apologies” and “Close 2 Me”, both unambiguous, yet emotional accounts on Muslim women and in the latter, a call to the brotherhood of believers.
Other favourites will be “Its on Us” a rally cry to Muslims to beware of infighting and the ‘moderate’ verses ‘extremist’ policies of the UK government, “ Yeah U R” an upbeat, uplifting appraisal to believers and “Dark Dayz” the title track which is a confrontational analysis on the current situation in the world. The rhyme marches through a cinematic ensemble of erratic orchestral strikes against a military and quite sinister bass beat.
Whether or not you like Hip Hop as a style you will agree Dark Dayz will do for Islamic Hip Hop what Public Enemy did for conventional Hip Hop and Blakstone seem set to begin a revolution in Islamic media surrounded in controversy but leading in expression.
A+++++ A magnificent debut.
- Salam Magazine UK
“The word is out: there’s fire brewing in the UK, in the form of Blakstone. Quite honestly, I have never been so genuinely blown away by any hip-hop group, Muslim or not.”
- Muslimhiphop.com
Discography
Dark Dayz - Debut Album
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Blakstone is a revolutionary new voice in hip-hop. They speak about the plight of the Muslim people in these ‘Dark Dayz’ who are facing a monumental struggle.
Music and the visual arts are powerful mediums and yet there were few artists speaking about the plight of the Muslim people and their struggles. However, destiny brought together a group of creative thinkers in the autumn of 2003 to discuss a vision in how political Islam could be communicated through the arts. After much discussion Blakstone was born in the summer of 2004 in London, to carry a message of hope and liberation for the Muslim people, and to bring awareness to all humanity about the corruption of capitalism and the truth of Islam.
The name of the group was inspired by the children on the streets of Palestine who fight tanks with stones, and to draw a symbolic contrast for the youth in the west about their lives and the lives of their counterparts in the oppressed Muslim world.
Blakstone is therefore not just another hip-hop group. They’re about the political art of conveying Islam to the people, taking this musical art form to a different level in lyrical content and musical styles. Their music is just one aspect as Blakstone seek to create a revolution in the Islamic arts and sciences that captivated the world for centuries. Consequently Blakstone is not just a person or a group; rather it envisions pioneering a worldwide Islamic art movement that brings together scholars, artists, musicians, scientists, poets, writers, technologists, political thinkers and filmmakers to produce a new art that will help awaken humankind to the epochal challenges shaping our lives and the future course of history.
Islamic political art is growing from the grassroots and Blakstone is contributing to this artistic revolution. Blakstone released their debut album ‘Dark Dayz’ on 31st March 2005.
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