This Week's Best Albums: May 3, 2011
by Scott Morrow

Each week, editor-in-chief Chris Force and music editor Scott Morrow choose ALARM’s favorite new releases across a chasm of genres.

Blitz the Ambassador: Native Sun (Embassy MVMT / Fat Beats)

Blitz the Ambassador: "Dear Africa" (f. Les Nubians)

Having lived 20 years in Africa and 10 in the USA, Ghanaian-American songwriter and rapper Samuel Bazawule — known as Blitz the Ambassador — offers a unique perspective on hip hop.  His blend of funky Afrobeat and slinky Afro-rock (all played live) with beats and rhymes in uncommon here in the States, but more importantly, he provides firsthand narratives and opinions of life on two continents.

Native Sun is Bazawule's fifth album, and as usual, there are plenty of political overtones, such as on "Free Your Mind," which calls on African communities to rise up while calling out extortionist practices of the IMF.  But there also are personal reflections on Blitz's homeland and past, on tracks such as "Accra City Blues," and there are personal/political hybrids such as "Dear Africa."

Behind the rhymes — spoken and sung in English, West African Pidgin English, and the local Ghanaian language Twi — exists a tight lineup of horns, assorted percussion, rock instrumentation, and turntables (plus one appearance of a kora on the final track).  The album also features guest appearances by Shad, Les Nubians, and others (including a quick shout-out by Chuck D), but none overshadows the voice, emotional resonance, and political weight of Bazawule.