Hailing from Texas, US, Kardinal Bloo is a young, versatile artist who brings a lot of colour to the current world of hip-hop, especially the colour blue. The album shines with a love for life as well as an understanding of the current state of affairs. As Bloo so eloquently puts it, his new album, Birds Rap Too, is “an eclectic collection of black expression that merges revolutionary pragmatism, scintillating lyricism, and earnest joie de vivre to create what I call class-conscious rap nonsense from a bird’s eye view.”
This hip-hop album stays interesting throughout, and it’s not only because it’s heavily, and uniquely, centered on birds. In the style of some of the greats out there, like Kendrick and Childish Gambino, Bloo is not afraid to up switch the flow in his songs, keeping the listener on his toes at all times. Add some dope beats and exhilarating lyricism and you’ve got an extremely vibrant rap album whose existence is greatly magnified by Bloo’s live shows. Check out his Instagram for video proof, or better yet, catch him live in Los Angeles on November 9th at Den Music Fest.
HK: At times, your voice reminds me of Andre 3000, is that just me or has someone told you that before?
KB: Hahaha yea I’ve been told that before. I’ve been compared to a lot of people, but that’s my favorite one.
HK: Why that name, Kardinal Bloo? Where does that come from?
KB: I love blue, and I love birds! During quarantine in 2020, I started bird watching a lot. The first bird that I could recognize by call alone was the Northern Cardinal, so they have a special place in my heart. Blue’s one of my favorite colors. It can represent so many different things. Cold, tranquility, sadness, the ocean, the sky, etc. I was tossing around these sentiments to my girlfriend & she came up with Kardinal Bloo. I was like, that’s dope as fuck!
HK: You mention lesser of two evils in the last song of your new album. This problem, the tradition of only two options, is common in many parts of the world, due to long-standing, systematic corruption. (It sure exists here in México, where I am, but not as much in my native Iceland). Do you think this will ever change in your native US? Do you see people around you who try to change that narrative, who vote outside the two-party system?
KB: I don’t think it will change in the US, so long as the US is the US, if you catch my drift. All empires collapse and that’s really the horse I’m bettin’ my chips on. Building something new in the aftermath. I think the illusion of democracy is a cornerstone of the US. Once you realize that the two major parties are two wings on the same bird, everything starts to make more sense. They work in tandem and need each other. Other party options that could possibly be better can’t actually exist in earnest, because a bird can’t have 3 wings. And the bird is a bad, bad bird that can’t be rehabilitated hahahaha. It’s a silly metaphor, but pretty apt methinks. The idea that electoral politics, in a country that was designed to keep us down from its inception, will somehow save us, is the narrative I think needs to be changed. I see people around that have the capacity to imagine a world outside the false binary of electoral politics. That are focused on creating new infrastructures centered around community, taking care of the people in our direct vicinity, and building outwards in solidarity with others that share our aims. Those are the people I try to surround myself with. I ain’t tryna wait around til we “lesser of two evils” ourselves into extinction.
HK: You mention freedom for Haiti, Palestine, Sudan, Congo and all your „homies“ around the world who are oppressed. Hip-hop has always had its activist, anti-authority side, although historically perhaps more focused on the systematic oppression black people have had to endure in the US. Now that rap has gone more global, do you see many of your peers looking outside the US through their rap and their music? What does it mean to you to see the state of global hip-hop community?
KB: Hiiiiip Hoooooop!!!! I love that this thing which has given me life is also beloved on a world stage!!! The duo that I started out rapping with was called Global Octopus, and one of my favorite songs we ever made is called Neo Griot Anthem, meant to be a song for the francophone African diaspora, but also for Black people, period. The people I associate with, I think have always had a sort of worldly orientation towards, not completely US-centric. All struggles for freedom against fascism, white supremacy, imperialism, etc. are interconnected. I think a music and culture born from the struggle of an oppressed people was bound to catch on globally. The coolest & most creative stuff generally comes from oppressed people. ‘Cause we be lackin’ shit, and necessity leads to innovation. And Hip-Hop’s gotta be the coolest thing on the planet. How could you not like it? Any marginalized person (this includes kids in general) in the world could find something within the vast domain of Hip-Hop that resonates with them. I love seeing people embrace Hip-Hop in the proper context. The commercialized global stuff that doesn’t respect Hip-Hop as a culture though, not so much. *Glares at K-Pop* It’s inevitable under capitalism, but annoying nonetheless. I will say though, that I’m not plugged into cool rap shit happening outside of the US. But I’d like to be! I’d like to visit different countries and see the scenes firsthand. Eventually, definitely.
HK: Some people draw a line between music and activism and say the two should be separated. What is your take on that and how and if the two should mix?
KB: The two are separated, and they aren’t. EMBRACE THE CONTRADICTION!!! Ultimately, the context is everything. There’s an ecosystem of change that requires many different roles to create a better world. Planning, building, teaching, healing, telling stories, making art, etc. Everybody’s got to play their part(s). ‘Cause there can be overlap. Music can be activism when it’s made with that intention and coupled with action on the part of the artist. I think the part people get twisted up is that a lot of artists just make music. That’s it. Then people make the mistake of thinking, “That artist is an activist!” because their music speaks on social issues. Making a song that says “the system’s fucked up!!” is not inherently activism, you feel me. I think some artists make that mistake too. Artists being activists can be a slippery slope ‘cause a lot of artists are driven by ego, which has no place in activism. People often look to artists to tell them what to think and how to be, so an activist artist can turn into someone with a savior complex real quick. There needs to be a certain level of discernment and a de-centering of self for it to work. But it can work!
HK: Who are among your inspirations (artists and non-artists alike)?
KB: The natural word always inspires me. Shout out all my birds! Whatever artists I’m rockin’ with at a certain time inspire me, and right now that’s mostly the Austin homies. CENSORED dialogue, Free Hamze, YoursTruuly/Locuust, Chucky Blk, Jaize, seina sleep, just to name a few. Also Quelle Chris, Cavalier, Denmark Vessey, Open Mike Eagle, and Koreatown Oddity. When I first started though, it was Lupe Fiasco, Noname, Outkast, Busta Rhymes, Radiohead. To be honest, there’s a million more artists I could name but for the sake of brevity I’mma stop here.
HK: What do you hope to achieve with your music?
KB: Happiness! For myself and others. To expand at least a few people’s horizons. A sustainable career built on community. A music co-op(?). A life of exploration and collaboration.
HK: Anything else you‘d like to shout from the rooftops?
KB: COVID IS STILL HERE, KILL THE COP IN YOUR HEAD, PARTICIPATE IN MUTUAL AID, TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBOR, DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE WRONG, KAMALA AIN’T GONE SAVE YOU NEITHER, BIRDS RAP TOO!
