Blitz the Ambassador- Native Sun

Samuel Bazawule, operating under the moniker Blitz the Ambassador, is a Ghanaian-American hip hop artist based in Brooklyn. With Native Sun, Blitz delivers one of his most colorful and cohesive releases to date, using Africa as a blueprint for lyrical and musical influence.  Written like a love letter to Africa, the songs express concern, admiration, and heartache for the place and its people.

Making music since the early 2000s and with 4 previous albums under his belt, Blitz is no newcomer to the game. He fully self-produced and distributed Native Sun through his own label, Embassy MVMT. Featured artists include J. Ivy and Les Nubians (who lend their vocals on the song “Dear Africa”).

With respect to the music and lyrics on Native Sun, it’s difficult to say which eclipses the other—a win-win conundrum I rarely find myself in when listening to a lot of contemporary music. The album is drenched in salient lyrics dealing with African historical and social issues. Blitz is truly a “lyrical anthropologist,” as he refers to himself on the album, which is full of heavy lyrics that masterfully dance around precise beats and tasteful instrumental samples. For example, one standout instrumental sample includes the smooth guitar riff of Ghanaian highlife musician K. Frimpong used in the song “Akwaaba.”

Listen to what I’m talking about- you can stream the entire album here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG4c2Xh5FuE&feature=player_embedded

Despite being somewhat of a concept album about Africa, through the employment of different lyrical and musical themes Blitz never manages to dull the listener’s ears. He blurs the lines between soul, hip-hop, afro-beat, and electronic music by effortlessly shifting between styles, many times within the same song.

Along with the music’s aesthetic, the album’s visual art direction is something to praise. Designed by Blitz himself, the album is a collage of colors and African-influenced design that collaborate beautifully with the music to create a charming package.

I don’t say this in many album reviews, but I will definitely be adding Native Sun to my personal collection.