“Ramesses II” by Moor Mother is a searing song of musical rebellion that combines politically motivated lyrics with avant-garde soundscapes. The song combines spoken word, free jazz, and hip-hop elements, with layered prolonged vocals, which creates a contrasting feeling for the listener. It’s simple, unconventional shape demonstrates Moor Mother’s dedication to pushing artistic and ideological boundaries.
The production of “Ramesses II” is characterised by layers of texture and dissonance. The droning, distorted bass that forms the track’s base creates an uncomfortable mood that is undoubtedly consistent with the weight of its topics. Fractured, chaotic, and somewhat spontaneous percussion breaks over this, evoking the free-form energy of experimental jazz. Moor Mother’s voice breaks through the beat with a sharp, purposeful spoken word delivery that avoids traditional melodic rhythms. Her delivery of the lyrics performs a tempo going against conventional rap or poetry.
The track’s sound palette definitely leans towards calmness in the first half of the track, and noise music in the second half, employing atonal harmonics and distortion with electronic components to jolt the listener. There is a purposeful discomfort that highlights the subject of the song’s content in the absence of a predictable structure. This contrast between the lyrics presentation and the flow of the melody can be seen as a metaphor that exposes the unresolved historical and societal sufferings of Moor Mother.
Moor Mother’s music has a significant political bent, and “Ramesses II” demonstrates her capacity to relate historical and personal experiences to larger harsh structures. Ramesses II is an Egyptian pharaoh that can be identified with glory and dominion, is invoked by the title alone. It’s a reference that also serves as a critique of the historical cycles of power abuse, possibly pointing to specific points in time where imperialism from antiquity and contemporary forms of structural injustice collided.
Racial injustice, colonialism, and historical elimination are all openly addressed in the lyrics of the song. By referencing mythological and historical figures, Moor Mother situates the present conflicts within a resistance continuum. Similar to how disorientation and violence have historically affected and still affect marginalised populations, chaotic and relentless soundscapes combined with clear spoken lyrics also demand attention and prevent the listener from ignoring the message.
Moor Mother’s approach complements and even outperforms traditional political music. She creates a convincing piece that captures the psychological and emotional toll that sadness takes. On “Ramesses II,” this interaction of sound and lyric becomes an activism promoting counternarratives and pressing the audience for the weight of uncomfortable truths.
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