Chris Rock may have put it best when he said the lower you go on the social ladder, the better the boxer. This might explain why Ras K’dee packs such a punch. The son of a Black man and a Pomo woman, K’dee is armed with an anger that only years of oppression can create. Fortunately for us this anger has translated into powerful music. Ras K’dee comes from the slums of suburban Santa Rosa, California, but his tales of suffering run far deeper than his own existence. His lyrics show strong ties to the Pomo Nation, reflecting a unique Native American perspective that is otherwise almost non-existent in hip hop.
This record is not today’s standard political hip hop; his criticisms of the system are scathing, but he tends to move beyond mere finger pointing, to spend most of his mic time addressing tangible solutions to uplift his people. With a deep, booming voice, K’dee nimbly delivers his crafted rhymes with a flow steeped in patterning. His subdued rapping is contrasted by the earnest and melodic singing abilities he shows off from time to time. Without any production credits it’s hard to be certain, but the bulk of Street Prison’s music seems to have been provided by One Struggle, a band Ras K’dee also fronts on the side. The music blurs genre boundaries with a mix of hip hop, traditional Mexican, reggae, and Native influences. This blend keeps things interesting, and tracks like “Escapar” provide interesting backdrops not usually paired with emceeing. To match the musical diversity, K’dee’s addresses a wide range of issues, including those in these aptly named tracks: “Mother Earth,” “Corporate Terrorism,” “Luv Yourself,” and “Smash on tha System.”
With all this said however, listening to Street Prison all the way through is a labor. In bits and pieces this album is moving, but after 79 minutes I was ready to throw in the towel.
- M. Steve Hammer
EAST BAY EXPRESS
Most Earnest Up-and-Coming Band: Music with a noble heart and passionate message (2006)
The One Struggle Band
When Ras K'Dee tells a crowd "I got your back, you got my back, we got your back, we got solidarity," even the most cynical and jaded believe him. Ras, an occasional host of the KPFA show Bay Native Circle, was not satisfied with producing a ripping first album; he then went out to find a crew of multiculti musicians and formed One Struggle. The six-member band lays down a relentless groove that's a blend of hip-hop, reggae, ska, rap, salsa, and Native American chants, all accompanied by lyrics worthy of the finest spoken-word performance that call on a long list of civil rights heroes, from Cesar Chavez to Malcolm X and Jonathan Jackson, and addresses issues like native resistance, environmental pollution, and the corrosive affect of drug culture on disadvantaged communities, all the while encouraging listeners to dance and celebrate life. Ras describes his struggles as a Pomo native and African American growing up in the slums, but somehow the message never dips into despair: The truth is, we never should have made it but we did it. Let 'em doubt you, they can't take your soul; you born with it.
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