by Ross Atkinson (@saucewinslow)
The first time I saw McKinley Dixon was directly after a house show in Richmond, Virginia. Dixon hadn’t played the show, but came back in after the dust had settled to hit the bathroom and tell us we had a really nice house. His calm and immediate kindness, at the time, felt an intense contrast to the artist I had only heard a few times prior. The songs I had heard at the time felt quick comprehensively: in lyrical content, vocal cadence, and live instrumentals; but this quickness came off to me in listening as aggressive. Not in a negative way, but with an unforgiving presentation that doesn’t so much beg to be heard as it does dictate “you’re going to hear me.” This character of who I expected McKinley Dixon to be was wholly different from reality, and the artist’s debut on Spacebomb, For My Mama & Anyone Who Look Like Her, unabashedly expresses the totality of the artist in a project that succeeds at combining aggression and cynicism with the message that pure love, sincerity, and vulnerability are some of the most crucial feelings needed to survive and thrive. McKinley Dixon delivers this range of emotions with confidence as he submits the conclusion to a trilogy of projects that present Dixon’s processing of his own and others lives as a part of the greater Black experience.
As For My Mama jumps from quick and poignant raps to lingering and catchy hooks sometimes incorporating other vocalists, Dixon can be heard processing his trauma and anger in context to the passage of time and progression of life. Tracks like the opening “Chain Sooo Heavy'' and “Swangin’” present the expectations of masculinity and its burden as an often tiring energy for the Black masc. These tracks put McKinley’s anger into context, while “Chain Sooo Heavy'' also expresses the dangers of that direct anger and the weight of delivering on expectations. In a seamless contrast, “Protective Styles'' orbits around the repetition of a chorus calling for awareness of mental health and its preservation in the Black community. All of these topics are presented through a revealing vulnerability that just as easily commandeers the listener’s attention as earlier projects, but with a sincerity that evolves far past what was heard in prior work.
Each track on the album feels as though McKinley Dixon is backed by a 100 piece orchestra and being supported by numerous and talented backup singers, though it’s just as possible it’s primarily recorded in a small studio space. It’s the confidence in voice and sound that creates an incredible atmosphere in each song that allows for constant variety and complex tracks. With For My Mama, McKinley Dixon has created a project that tells a tale of deep emotion and vulnerability. Through an incredibly versatile use of sound and an incredibly honest dictation of his own life and his own struggles, Dixon delivers an amazing piece of work that is, easily, my favorite project of its kind this year. As I see the artist continue to refine his songwriting ability while simultaneously developing skills as a visual animator and also practicing and sharing American Sign Language (ASL) in a way that brings a greater awareness to the deaf Black community, McKinley Dixon is delivering upon an artistic practice that most could only hope to hold the reins of.