Having spent a lot of time in the Baptist church as a kid, I always remember the deacons leading the devotional portion of Sunday service. The most respected men in the church would pray, sing, offer testimonials, and generally work the congregation into frenzy before the pastor and his associates walked into the sanctuary.
Each time there was always one deacon that would send murmurs through the throng of parishioners as he walked to the microphone. He was going to sing, and it was going to bring the house down. Guttural soul and earnest devotion leaped from his chest and escaped from his mouth into the hearts of listeners.
Alpoko Don evokes that supernaturally inspired emotional response every time he raps and sings. Part Southern firebrand, part MacGyver, part emcee, the South Carolina peers deep into his soul on his latest release “Street Life.” Don personifies the streets and its associated pitfalls as a heartless woman whose influence spread through his family, neighborhood, and personal life like an aggressive cancer. “Street Life” is an autobiographical cautionary tale that doesn’t glorify the streets, but exposes it’s true ugliness like the sun melting a thick layer of snow away from a landfill.
Look out for the Ol’ Soul EP which drops February 21.