Righteous and
Rich
By
Saint Jude
& Mark L
A little while back I was contacted by UK producer Mark L
regarding reviewing his recent EP Saints Without A Church with London
based lyricist Saint Jude. This EP was a cracking listen but, sadly I did not
get around to reviewing it due to the tumultuous storm that is life right now.
So, when he sent me their forthcoming album Righteous and Rich, I knew I had to
get this one on the blog.
Mark L is originally from Cwmbran Wales, but now calls
Southampton his home, and you all know I like to get Southampton based Hip Hop
on the blog when I can as it was my birthplace and it’s always good to connect
with your home.
The album is centred on a core philosophy of "Can
you live with two masters, the gospel and the grind?" It explores the
friction between spiritual alignment and the hustle of daily survival. The
sound promises to be a modern gospel inspired vibe, so it will be interesting
to see how this one speaks to me.
Without further ado, let’s get into it…
The ten-track album kicks off with the title track Righteous and Rich, which features Southampton legend Jonathan Fashole-luke on the keys. The sound brings that gospel vibe from the start with soft etheric vocals underpinning the beat which is backed by keys and organ notes which give this one a thoughtful edge. As you listen, you realise there is a conflict of emotions here, even a conflict of the spirit as the question is posed that can you both righteous and rich? In a world where most of the rich seem to have their fingers in dark pies or made their money from the exploitation of others; while the righteous among us always seem to struggle to make ends meet, as it seems that being right and focusing on a spiritual outlook does not make you rich, in a monetary sense. Perhaps the question is answered here already as being rich in your spirit takes you to a level that money never can. With that thought rooted in our awareness, Move This Pack drops with a sound that mixes a drumbeat with piano, organ and more to bring a vibe that takes you a place that brings the daily grind into focus. This one looks at struggles of a working life mixed with trying to keep yourself focused on giving your family a good life while doing your best to be who you are not crumple in a heap while doing it. Life throws so much at us, in terms of the food we eat and help we receive, or don’t, that just living is a job in itself and keeping a work/life balance is tough. Filthy Rich has a sound that mixes organ vibes and a sharper drum sound, alongside some cut up horn sections. The overall sound is light but, the lyrics have an edge that seems to speak on the light-hearted nature of someone speaking on making their money in ways that makes that money as filthy as ways in which it was made. This is the sad truth that some treat making money and getting rich like a game, where even murder is treated as just one of those things, a stepping stone on the way to becoming rich.
The Break Up has a darker edge to both the sound and
lyrics. The sound plays with your mind while the lyrics seem to speak from one
mans thoughts of life and the things that he has to do. This goes beyond just
that to his thoughts on how his relationship breaks up and how the events
around that situation hit hard and cause him to question everything. The thing
is, by the end of the track you are left with just his thoughts and what he
said about everything, with just one version of events it is hard to find a
balance wonder about all the things that triggered this, who was right and who
was wrong. Ja Blood has a sound that brings in a more relaxed beat, but
with this sung element that puts you in mind of part of your soul screaming
out. There is a sense of turmoil within this one as it looks at the fabric of
society, questioning everything as if someone is having a sudden awakening and
looking at the everything, suddenly unable to understand who is right and who
is wrong, and their own status within this. MSB, which stands for Mind
Soul Body, comes with a heavy beat mixed with piano and strings, giving this a
sound that has a head nod vibe, getting you moving as the lyrics seem to float
into your awareness. This one has an air that suggests that it all about being
yourself, free from what anyone expects, free to be who you are and free to
think and speak on what comes from within, event if that goes against the
societal norm. The mind, soul and body are yours and you should not let anyone
take them from you.
Testify has a far more chilled jazzy vibe to it,
something that gives it a more uplifting sound. This is a short track but, says
a lot in that time as it says that life as an ordinary person should not be so
tough, something that we can all agree with. No matter your spiritual outlook
on life, the daily grind is hard, as there is no balance in our work/life.
Everything is a struggle just to survive and somehow, we do our best to stay
positive and look to a brighter future. The Bullet brings a sound that
almost softens the beat to the background as xylophone notes and sung vocal
elements take to the forefront giving this an air of reflection. Here we are
back to the daily grind of life and the struggles that ensue with each step we
take. But there is also an element here that looks toward creating balance and
finding a brighter way to navigate the gritty aspects of everyday life.
We come to the penultimate track of the album with The
Sitcom, where bass notes, flute, strings and more back a more chilled beat,
giving this thoughtful air. This one seems to be all about making the best of a
difficult situation. There are always times in life where you think, with
everything going on, you couldn’t write this! Life never seems to reflect the
fun times we see on the TV screens in those popular sitcoms, but we still do
our best to bring some light-heartedness into our lives, even though there are
times when it seems like nothing will take away the pain or clear the clouds
from the sky. The album ends with Father Time where the piano notes and
sung elements, bring a sound that lightens our thoughts and gives the sense of
a light at the end of the tunnel. The lyrics reflect this outlook too, with
uplifting vibes that put you in mind of brighter days, summer times vibes and
enjoying life once more. Time might pass us by as we walk the path of daily
life, but as we walk that path, father time eventually brings us sunshine and
clear skies, where we can breathe again and smile…
What you notice about this album is that it looks at a
number of aspects of daily life, such as the daily grind or hustle, inner
turmoil, and then how it affects us and our relationships, but deeper than that
it looks at whether you can function in this way but, still have a spiritual
aspect. The interesting thing is, as I pointed out above, that the overall
question this album poses, is almost fully answered in the first track. Now, I might
have got that impression from the fact that life is not being particularly kind
to me and my family right now, but as low as these situations make us, there is
always these little reminders that pop up to remind us that clearer skies are
coming. Now, your own religious or spiritual beliefs might change how you see
the messages but, they are there, and that is why I think, if you read between
the lines, that answer is there for you.
Once you have the answer, the album then choses to show you
everything that can impact your life, almost reinforcing that through all the
hardships and struggles, there is one thing that will never change, and that is
the fact that you can always tip the balance by belief in a higher power, be
that God, The Universe, or whatever you belief system shows you.
Saint Jude and Mark L do not shy away from mixing gritty
visions of daily life and personal struggles with inspirational and uplifting
quotes that give you a sense that brighter days are ahead. There is also this
feeling that its not always easy and at times you will feel like there is no
end to things but, ultimately, the skies will clear once more.
Saint Jude brings tight wordplay and differing flows and his
own lived experience to give you auditory visions that allow you to draw on
your own experiences by triggering your mind to look at what you are hearing
and then, almost instantly, flicking to what personal experiences closely match
that. Which is something that helps the listener when going deep into an album
such as this. That wordplay is helped by the skilled production from Mark L who
mixes Hip Hop and other vibes with that Gospel sound to bring a sound that has
a fresh air to it but also speaks to a deeper spiritual side of you as well.
Righteous and Rich is one of those albums that will
speak to so many. It will show you that having a belief in a higher power can
not only bring you that sense of righteousness but also make you rich far
beyond what money can bring. That is not to say that you don’t need money, but
it has its place and coming from a place of being rich on the inside will help
you see the place of external richness.
Righteous and Rich is released on 29th June.
My humble thanks to Mark L for sending this one my way and giving me the chance to bring you my personal take on it.
I’ll be seeing ya.
Steve.
LINKS
Saint Jude and Mark L Bandcamp (Check here for the drop on 29th):
https://saintjudemarkl.bandcamp.com/music
Saint Jude and Mark L on Instagram:
https://saintjudemarkl.bandcamp.com/music
Saint Jude and Mark L YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@SaintJudeMarkL
VIDEOS
Righteous and Rich Promo
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