Veterans of the rap scene in Washington D.C. The Cornel West Theory (CWT) have released a new album titled ‘By The Time I Get To Minnesota’. For those who don’t know CWT we recommend you check them out. This is raw, brutal, rap music with some punk elements to it. Lyrically these guys are the real deal. This is real rap that holds nothing back. CWT have dedicated their career to rhymes that take on the government, hold the powerful to account and create a voice for the voiceless.
Now they have released a music video for one of the outstanding banging tracks of the album, 12 O’Clock Rock. This track is a personal favorite at Shouts HQ’s so we do hope you check it out.
Tim Hicks, frontman of the group, explained to us the motivation behind the track: “That song was inspired by the unfortunate murders of American citizens in the Black communities and the constant denial of justice. It was inspired by the uprisings and made as a wake up call for the climate being created by law enforcement within the USA.”
“We just aimed to make an album full of protest anthems and this one was directly influenced by the reality of cops getting away with murder and the reaction of society to such action.”
According to Tim Hicks, leader and activist from the hiphop collective that is The Cornel West Theory, real rap is coming our way soon. The group seems to have its batteries in order too, for this hiphop is as politically charged as it gets.
Tim is a busy man these days, producing a new album for both the CWT as well as putting out a solo project. 45 is also busy these days and seeing how the capital is Tim’s playground he has felt the effect of this president deeply and so he has a word or two in his lyrics aimed at the man.
The DC rap game veteran got some words for all the poser rappers out there as well according to a recent FB post: “new and legendary MC’s, do lots of pushups, we’ll be waiting”. So naturally I asked Tim to drop a few names of real rappers who are doing it right today.
Check out his shout outs below along with his plea for a more unified world and his banging track off of his upcoming album exclusively here on Shouts!
Shouts Exclusive Listen
“Jim Vance” by Tim Hicks from his upcoming solo project “Bullets”
I’m hanging in there family. Fighting the good fight. Music, life… always Fatherhood, and trying to be a saint living in a sinner’s body.
You have both a solo album as well as a group album coming out soon. What are the main differences between the two? Is your solo stuff as political as the CWT?
Great question and I pray my answer hits the mark. So, my solo project, Bullets, is something that I wasn’t really planning to do. It was just time. I have ideas that I’d like to express outside of the group context. Those ideas sometimes just take the form of beats that never see the light of the internet. This time, they took the form of me rapping over those tracks.
The Cornel West Theory is always at the core. The Dirty Church is the entity that produces all the music for CWT. I lead both. I brought the elements together for my solo piece. My solo album is my way of establishing myself as a bonafide – true to the tradition – cut from the cloth – not to be f*cked with – EMCEE.
It’s also an album dedicated to the city I was born and raised in. That city is Washington DC. As far as politics, I’m always writing with the intention to speak truth. There’s a false, yet very real reality in the world, and within Hip Hop these days. I prefer to go with the truth, and that truth is sometimes political. Sometimes it has nothing to do with politics.
I’m in a band called The Cornel West Theory. What can I say. I have an obligation to Doc West and his spirit. I have an obligation to Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. To Curtis and to Gil Scott. No weak-heart rap. This year we’ll see at least 2 new Cornel West Theory albums, NWOK (new world order kids) and DSIGHED (pronounced decide).
We have an exclusive listen to one of the tracks off your upcoming solo album. Can you tell us a bit about this song?
This tune is called Jim Vance. It’s an introduction to my solo voice. A way of me waving hi at all my heroes in hip hop, and announcing my arrival to all the wack ass rappers spitting that bullshit on the mic.
This track is a way of giving people a taste of what a MC from Washington DC sounds like. Not a DMV rapper who claims DC but ain’t really from the city. For folks who don’t know, DMV stands for DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Salute to the whole DMV, but there is no DMV without DC. I’m from DC.
You have campaigned fiercely, on and off the music stage, for the MOVE group as well as for one of its supporters, Mumia Abu Jamal. Mumia was recently granted the right to appeal after having served already a few decades in prison. What is your relationship with Mumia and why is his case, as well as the MOVE history, important to you?
Mumia is me. Mumia is my poppa from another mother. Mumia is a righteous brother who deserves to be with his wife and family because he’s innocent. I visited Mumia back in 2013, and became aligned with MOVE members Pam Africa and Ramona Africa. Ever since then, I’ve been blessed enough to fellowship with these awesome elders, and even have them record for our album, Coming From The Bottom. They became family to me. I met Mumia’s wife and performed at a memorial service for their daughter Goldii who passed away a few years ago. Those are my peoples.
Mumia’s case is important because his freedom means that the world can now experience and be taught by one of the most brilliant, loving, and courageous men to ever walk the planet…but up close and personal as it should be. Free. Mumia is a bright shining light.
MOVE still has members who need to be freed as well. Chuck Africa, Eddie Africa, Delbert Africa, Janet Africa and Janine Africa need to be freed immediately!
We did have an amazing breakthru… Michael Africa Sr. and Debbie Africa were both released after 40 years in prison! Ona Move! Long Live John Africa! FREE EM ALL!
You recently dropped a single called S.H.U.T.. Can you tell us a bit about it? Has the shutdown affected you or anyone you know personally?
Oh yeah, let’s rap. See The Cornel West Theory talks about the sh*t that most rappers avoid because it doesn’t sell. We’re also from DC, so we’re right in the face of the American government, as opposed to other folks who throw stones from the guest house.
The song was directly aimed at number 45, and his administration. A totally illegal government. I say this based on their actions. Yes, it touched my family and friends directly. Some of my people lost money, time, and gained stress in the process. I’m sure most Americans felt the same way.
This is a rough moment dealing with this dude. Somebody gotta talk about it. Music is soft now, cause nobody’s talking about it. The problems. We will.
You have been known to use social media to let poser rappers know you’re coming. What rappers are actually doing something right today? Who are using their voices and bringing the good stuff these days?
I dig Mankind. Two dope brothers from Harlem. We got some stuff in the works so hopefully y’all will get that soon, but Mankind is fresh! My man yU from the DMV area. Folks know him from being a part of Diamond District with Oddisee & Uptown XO. Folks need to know about yU.
Salute to Smif-N-Wessun, who just dropped a really dope album with 9th Wonder. Dope and Dope! I wanna hear the legends sounding fresh. Smif N Wessun did just that. I also wanna hear force back in hip hop.
Will you be touring the new music in 2019?
Hopefully. We’re not signed and without a budget these days so getting funding is an issue. I’m sure there are some folks who are real about their business and have the means to bring us out. JAH willing, our paths will connect.
We’re always working on something so we’re ready to roll when the calls do come in for shows. However, plenty of folks like to look at us as the act that will play for pennies. As if we’re new to this. We’re grown ass men with families. Music is a job, and musicians need work.
I know people are tired of these boring ass performances from the same ole folks or from new folks who aren’t worth seeing. We been out here. It’s no games live. We joke all the time about folks being afraid of us. We believe some artists are worried that if we open for them, we might take their shine. We’ll be working on getting shows tho.
For those serious about business, let em know to reach out to us at thecornelwesttheory@gmail.com or on social media @cwestspokesman and @cwesttheory
What matters to you in 2019? What fights are worth fighting?
My babies, and my donna. My family. The human family. I’m tired of seeing folks divided over race and racism. It’s worth fighting to destroy the concept of race. If folks stop identifying as colors disguised as levels in a class system, we could accomplish a lot.
I was told that a racist person’s worst fear is to see black and white united. To unite, we gotta let these labels die. In our minds, in our speech, and then hopefully in our daily lives. Yes, there are plenty of pieces to the system that must be addressed in order to get that change to be visible.
One thing I suggest is that folks remember that we all bleed and need love. It’s worth fighting for women and LGBTQ rights. It’s worth fighting for all immigrants trying to find safety and a better life. It’s worth it to stop spending money on death, and fight for the end of homelessness.
No one is a f*cking color. Period. God made us all. No one is above anyone. Let’s all get on the same level. One Love.
Bob Marley said it best… folks said he should side with Black people, others said he was for White people. Bob said he was on God’s side. Salute to all the folks who give us energy and support.
Salute to Shouts! Iceland what up! Europe what up! Africa what up! Asia what up! South America what up! Whole world what up!
Out of the wake of Trumpapocalypse comes a group that specifically intends to fill the void left by commercial musical groups who don’t take their voices seriously. According to their Bandcamp page The Cornel West Theory released the album The T.A.B.L.E. TOO in January of 2017 as direct response to the state of things in their home environment. They recognize that someone needs to express awareness out into the atmosphere and they play their part. Shouts sent a few questions their way and two members of the collective, Tim and Rashad, told us a bit more about the group as well as their upcoming projects.
What do you hope to achieve with your music?
Tim:
In the words of John Coltrane…to become saints. We create to reach as many people in the world as God will allow us to reach. We pray to be able to support our families thru the art and assist others. We hope to offer a balance.
Rashad:
International critical dialogue about what changes need to be made in the world. We aim to inspire people to push for their higher spiritual calling, and to make Hip Hop an ageless, timeless, non-racially divided, powerful form of art.
You write on your Bandcamp page that the group formed out of a void needing to be filled (a void left by other artists). Can you elaborate on that? And do you feel alone making the music you make or is there a scene of like minded groups?
Tim & Rashad:
We feel that there’s an empty space within hip hop. A space that used to be filled by the likes of Public Enemy, KRS One, Poor Righteos Teachers, and a few more up to Black Star, but for almost a decade, there aren’t any more groups or solo artist who have a grimey, soulful, violent, socially conscious sound. We do feel like we’re in the minority in that sense, and it has been a 13 year up hill climb for us to push thru the industry’s barriers. We have plenty of other artist like us in pockets all over the US and the world, so we are not alone in that regard. We shall continue to push until the walls fall.
Do you have other projects or work relating to bettering the world besides the music?
Tim:
We’re a collective with several other things in the works such as graphic novels and other artistic ventures. We’re supporters of political prisoners within the US such as Mumia Abu Jamal and The MOVE 9 whom we’ve collaborated with musically on our previous album, Coming From The Bottom. We consider ourselves sonic activists.
What’s on the horizon for The Cornel West Theory?
Tim:
We’re always working on several things at once, but what I can tell you about the immediate future is we’re about to release our 6th album, WATERGUNZ soon, and will also be releasing at least two other projects before this year ends. In 2018 we’ll release our 7th album, N.W.O.K. We’re also seeking distribution and hope to begin touring.
