By Ramon Robinson
Hip-hop has always been a battleground for truth, and with Power to the People, Absoloot and Kai TooTall Turner have created an album that stands as both a tribute and a challenge. This eight-track masterpiece is more than just music—it is a call to action, a history lesson, and a love letter to Black resilience.
Set for release on February 24th, a date with deep significance in Black history, the album reflects both progress and resistance. On this day in 1864, Rebecca Lee Crumpler became the first Black woman to earn a medical degree. Nearly a century later, on February 24, 1956, white lawmakers launched Massive Resistance, shutting down public schools rather than allowing Black students to attend. This contrast—Black excellence versus systemic oppression—mirrors the themes Absoloot explores throughout the album.
From the fearless resistance of Harriet Tubman to the revolutionary leadership of Fred Hampton, from the journalistic fire of Ida B. Wells to the educational legacy of Mary McLeod Bethune, Power to the People does more than acknowledge history—it forces us to confront the present.
“Wise Words”: A Poetic Reminder of the Weight of Knowledge
The album begins with “Wise Words,” a beautifully raw piece that echoes the reflections of Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, and Zora Neale Hurston. Absoloot speaks about the mental exhaustion of knowing too much, the pain of recognizing injustice, and the loneliness that comes with being aware.
Talk less and listen more / Still not sure what I’m listening for / But I love how silence brings my thoughts together
This track feels like a modern-day response to Hughes’ “What Happens to a Dream Deferred?” and Angelou’s “Still I Rise.” It reflects the mental and emotional burden of being Black in America—the battle between hope and exhaustion, between knowledge and despair.
Much like James Baldwin, who once said, “To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time,” Absoloot acknowledges that awareness is both a gift and a curse.
“Queen Mary”: The Strength of Black Women as the Backbone of Liberation
One of the most powerful tracks on the album, “Queen Mary,” is a tribute to Mary McLeod Bethune, a woman whose contributions to Black history cannot be overstated. Absoloot doesn’t just tell her story—he steps into her shoes, delivering a spoken-word autobiography that captures her fierce dedication to education and Black empowerment.
Take ya books / Like they throwing out your roots
With schools across the country banning books about Black history, this line feels eerily relevant. Bethune helped Carter G. Woodson establish Negro History Week (now Black History Month), and she knew that education was the most powerful tool against oppression.
Absoloot’s lyrics across the album reflect his deep respect for Black women, acknowledging them as his greatest influence. Much like Harriet Tubman, who led over 70 enslaved people to freedom, Sojourner Truth, who fought for the rights of both Black people and women, and Fannie Lou Hamer, who put her life on the line for voting rights, Bethune understood that freedom begins with knowledge.
“Fred Hampton”: The Price of Being a Revolutionary
The track “Fred Hampton” is a fiery and unapologetic anthem dedicated to the Black Panther Party leader who was assassinated by the U.S. government at just 21 years old.
They make examples out of those that dare / They use violence to silence a revolutionary
Fred Hampton, much like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., began to see the fight for Black liberation as part of a larger war against capitalism and class oppression. King himself once admitted, “I fear I may have integrated my people into a burning house.”
Hampton built coalitions between Black, Latino, and white working-class groups, which made him a direct threat to the government. His leadership was so powerful that the FBI labeled him a “radical threat” and orchestrated his assassination in 1969.
This song serves as a warning and a reminder—when Black leaders get too powerful, too unified, too revolutionary, they become targets.
“Jim Crow (Willie Lynch)”: Exposing the Evolution of Oppression
The track “Jim Crow (Willie Lynch)” is one of the hardest-hitting songs on the album, breaking down how the tactics of oppression have simply changed forms.
They hid the chains and locked the doors / Wrote new laws to start a war
From slavery to segregation to mass incarceration, America has found new ways to keep Black people in bondage. The prison-industrial complex, voter suppression, and systemic economic exclusion all function as modern-day forms of slavery.
Much like Malcolm X, who warned about institutional racism disguised as democracy, Absoloot calls out the false progress that keeps Black communities trapped in cycles of poverty and surveillance.
Told us vote but changed the maps / Gave us jobs but cut the checks
This song makes one thing clear—Jim Crow never died. He just changed his uniform.
Fashion as Resistance: Black Ownership and Economic Empowerment
Beyond the music, Absoloot and Kai TooTall Turner are making a statement with their fashion.
Both artists are rocking Carrots, a Black-owned streetwear brand that is not only high-quality but available at Walmart at an incredible price point. This accessibility proves that Black excellence doesn’t have to be exclusive—it can be for everyone.
Absoloot is also wearing his favorite shoes from SIA Collective, another Black-owned brand that is disrupting the sneaker industry and proving that Black creatives can thrive outside of mainstream corporations.
This commitment to supporting Black businesses reflects the teachings of W.E.B. Du Bois, who advocated for economic self-sufficiency, and Booker T. Washington, who encouraged Black entrepreneurship. Much like the 1920s Black Wall Street movement, Absoloot and Kai TooTall Turner understand that owning our own businesses is just as important as political activism.
A Timeless Album That Will Be Studied for Generations
Power to the People isn’t just an album—it’s a cultural moment.
It stands alongside the works of Public Enemy, The Last Poets, and Tupac’s “Keep Ya Head Up.” It is both a celebration of Black brilliance and a warning about the forces still trying to erase us.
From the strength of Black women to the sacrifices of revolutionaries, from the manipulation of the legal system to the urgent need for Black economic empowerment, this album is a masterpiece of storytelling, education, and resistance.
On February 24th, history won’t just be remembered—it will be felt.
This is the hip-hop we’ve been waiting for.
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/album/6rfkYD8yhSg0dkW3W0XovE
