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Rapper Sideshow Fuses Ethiopian Roots with G-Funk
30 Mar
Summary
- Sideshow's album TIGRAY FUNK blends homeland influences with G-funk.
- The 32-song album uses a tiger and dog parable to explore original sins.
- The rapper highlights global suffering, particularly for non-white individuals.
Born HaileMariam Kassa, rapper Sideshow initially showed little interest in music during his Addis Ababa childhood. His focus shifted towards hip-hop during his adolescence in Virginia and early adulthood in Los Angeles. Sideshow’s latest album, TIGRAY FUNK, named after his homeland, harmoniously combines Ethiopian influences with the G-funk sound he embraced while living in California.
The expansive 32-song album is structured into four discs, centrally revolving around a narrative about a tiger, a dog, and the inherent violence within existence. Sideshow, now a signee to MIKE's 10k Global label, credits encouragement from MIKE as a significant catalyst for his musical journey. The album was notably produced during isolated recording sessions, with Niontay teaching him self-recording techniques.
Towards the conclusion of TIGRAY FUNK, the track 'LOOK WHAT OUR STOMACHS MADE US DO' features Sideshow rapping, "From Tigray to Palestine, we facin' cold facts/If you not white with blue eyes, your suffering don't matter." This sentiment underscores the album's broader exploration of violence, both commonplace and extreme, offering a profound commentary without being overtly instructive. The work stands as an accomplishment in musical form, tone, rhythm, and political discourse.
