Kinshasa by Alec Lomami
How often do you get to say you were there at the start of an artist's career? This might be one of those rare instances, as Carolina-based Congolese rapper Alec Lomami introduces himself to the world with Kinshasa, a fun, upbeat sunny homage to his hometown. It's also a nostalgic look back at the city he was eager to leave, to pursue the American dream, but which he now misses, that bittersweet note cleverly camouflaged in the poppy-dancey vibe and his on-point flow.
That double-edged nature of the track is further expressed in the tile of the upcoming debut EP from which it was taken, Mélancolie Joyous, all of which has got us looking forward to the rest; the EP drops in September.
Ok, full disclosure, we might be a little biased because Alec is a contributor to TIA, so just download Kinshasa (from Soundcloud or Bandcamp), have a listen and see what you think. And if you like it, drop by his Facebook page to say hello.
