McKinley Dixon Reveals Origins of New Single “Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?”: Exclusive
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The post McKinley Dixon Reveals Origins of New Single “Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?”: Exclusive appeared first on Consequence.
Origins is a recurring series that gives artists a space to break down everything that went into their latest release. Today, former CoSign McKinley Dixon takes us through the title track of his forthcoming album.
Chicago-based rapper McKinley Dixon reveals the majesty of his new album with its name alone: Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? goes the title, with exclamation points that seem to say, “It’s that good, can you believe it?” and a concluding question mark that feels like a knowing wink and nudge. But it’s also a direct reference to Toni Morrison’s significant trilogy, and the album’s title track, which features Ms. Jaylin Brown, doubles down on the enveloping love that the title suggests.
Indeed, the former Consequence CoSign uses “Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?” as a brand new thesis statement — one he calls “a familial affair in all senses.” Though it’s the title track and carries an aura of confidence and discovery, Dixon describes it as the conclusion of an arc.
“The song itself represents the final chapter of the album’s story, while being the culmination of the individual tales told throughout,” he tells Consequence. “The song’s video and recording process represent that, too. Both have family and friends that I’ve gathered throughout my life, young and old.”
It’s fitting that Dixon’s new material is once again a personal, passionate foray into the complex nature of familial ties, faith, and the Black experience. His previous album, For My Mama and Anyone Who Look Like Her, dealt with similarly fraught topics, but interweaved Dixon’s complicated emotions into a patchwork of characters, musical styles, and stories. Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? seems to pick up where his previous work left off, and the concluding title track radiates with wisdom.
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It’s fascinating to hear Dixon reflect on the role of his family and friends throughout his life, and his verse’s conclusion strikes an emotional chord: “When I was standing on the edge about to fall off of the cliff/ What kept me on was looking up and seeing my hand in your grip,” he cries, before the refrain rolls back in with the tender word, “Beloved.” You can hear the sheer weight of these words as he delivers them, deftly balancing his laidback flow with palpable emotion and heart.
Watch McKinley Dixon’s “Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?” video below, followed by his breakdown of the track’s Origins.
Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? is out on June 2nd via City Slang Records and features the lead single, “Run, Run, Run.” Pre-orders are ongoing.
My Kitchen Table Growing Up:
Photo by Francesco Cavallini via Unsplash
My family’s kitchen table was a wooden table with a leaf in it. It had a simple cloth cover, and a plastic cover over top of that one. While the physical table was nothing special, the memories and stories lived and shared over it were incredible. My whole young life was spent around that table.
Mos Def’s 2009 album The Ecstatic:
This was a masterclass on a comeback and a rise from the ashes of rap critics. I personally loved The New Danger, but this album was in a time where I could keep up with music releases as they came. It was a beautiful description of a king returning and showing that rap is a world art form that should include the struggles and oppressions of others.
The Upstairs Bedroom in My Grandmother’s House:
Photo by Justin Schuler via Unsplash
I grew up in that room. Whenever something happened outside, I would return to that room for safety. The house’s arms always extended out, but that room, for me, was the heart.
Toni Morrison’s trilogy of the same name:
Photo via Abe Books
The greatest rapper of all time. The best author of love. Toni Morrison’s trilogy (Beloved [1987], Jazz [1992], Paradise [1998]) can be found all over this album’s notes due to it being such an incredible way of describing that the human experience is neither good nor bad, but complex. It’s something that I work to internalize and explore with my work as well.
My Cornrows:
Photo by Matthew Henry via Unsplash
I usually keep my hair in straight backs while I am heavily involved with making an album. It’s easier to maintain and touch up. They’re usually pretty simple, but it allows me to focus on other things. Shouts out to Mia, who be doing my hair.
McKinley Dixon Reveals Origins of New Single “Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?”: Exclusive
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