WASHINGTON,
DC - Back to shake up hip-hop, indie emcee Tarica June drops her highly
anticipated second release, "Stream of Consciousness, Vol. 1", along
with 2 accompanying videos--"S.O.C. (Cray)" and "GONE".
The
project's title 'Stream of Consciousness' signifies not only a desire
to raise consciousness, but also a pure reflection of inner-most
thoughts and feelings without concern for typical song structures. In
this sense S.O.C. feels like a whirlwind of words--a train you get on
and ride until the last stop (in this case, the 16th track). Primarily
driven by lyrics, the project's final destination is a much deeper
understanding of who this emcee called Tarica really is and
where/why/how she fits into this over-crowded space called hip hop.
On
S.O.C. Tarica tackles many issues generally untouched in hip-hop,
including school debt/student loans, general dissatisfaction with
post-college life; the struggles of being an independent artist ('My
Life'); the ever-expanding prison industrial complex --particularly its
effects on those on the outside ('Babylon System' & 'Blame');
love--both realized, and unrealized ('L.C.S.' & 'Crush'); general
insecurities and triumphs associated with artistic expression ('Hello');
and even frustrations with life in modern-day D.C.--from gentrification
to parking tickets ('But Anyway'). The project is a mixture of industry
beats and underground ones featuring the likes of Dela (Paris), J.
Faraday (Houston), and Brock Berrigan (New Jersey).
Once
again, as on Moonlight Revolution, Tarica June stands alone. Still
unsigned, and still not introduced to the world by men (or anyone for
that matter), she embraces her outsider status, in many cases drawing
power from it. "...all it takes is for them clowns to see you with a
dude sometimes... they'll use that as an excuse to claim 'he must be
writin her rhymes'." she raps on 'Hello' (Tarica's take on Drake's '0 to
100'). Unfazed by it all, Tarica June is determined to be heard despite
the odds stacked against her.
Stream of Consciousness, Vol. 1 is the start of what's sure to be a thought-provoking and enjoyable series.
About Tarica June:
Tarica June's first project, Moonlight Revolution (2010), appeared
unexpectedly and was met with critical acclaim (being called "The most
important project in recent hip-hop memory" by HipHopDx and "Brilliant"
by SoulBounce). This gave rise to many performance opportunities
including opening for the likes of Dead Prez, Talib Kweli, and Brand
Nubian, and headlining various shows and festivals throughout the United
States (including B-Girl Be (Minneapolis), D.O.P.E. Conference (North
Carolina A & T), S.A.M.I. (Howard University, Washington, DC).
Tarica has since finished law school and passed the bar exam. Nowadays
when she's not emceeing she's helping other independent artists with
their contractual needs. Her music can be found on her website: http://www.taricajune.net.
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