If I were blissfully unaware of its relationships of co-opted association to whiteness and “maleness”, genius is one of the words I would use to describe Georgia Anne Muldrow and her sonic oeuvre spanning nearly two decades. Imagining, creating and composing sonic topographies that traverse genre and containment, from soul to R&B, hip hop to electro music, funk and jazz; there is something about Muldrow’s relationship with and expression of music akin to that of Erykah Badu who — hotep, slut-shaming tendencies aside — is undeniably one of the greatest musical artists of our time.
And just like Georgia, she has yet to receive her flowers in the form of her, as well as her work, being recognised as genius, “we don’t think of her in the same way that we even think about Drake, you know, which is really fascinating to me given what she did on “You Can’t Call My Phone” but Drake passed out money in the “God’s Plan” music video and it’s like; ‘he’s a genius. He’s a philanthropist and he’s a genius!”’ Express Wesley and guest host — in Jenna’s absence — Rembert Browne between exchanges of laughter. But now, back to Muldrow and her musical depth and abundant sonic spectrum.
Photograph by Priscilla Jimenez
Towards the end of May, the Los Angeles based polymath released VWETO III, the third instalment in her VWETO series. The album follows Georgia Anne Muldrow’s Grammy nomination for Overload (2018) and her inclusion in The New York Times’ Top Albums of 2020 for Mama, You Can Bet from her acclaimed Jyoti project — Jyoti being the moniker Muldrow uses to explore her jazzer musical expression. “VWETO III is intended for movement. It’s to be played when you birth yourself back outside after a long introspective period to get the things you need. It intends for you to be your own superhero and wants to be your theme for power,” shares Muldrow speaking about her latest album. The broad spectrum of styles on VWETO III range from low slung gnarly funk, head nodding boom bap, psychedelic cosmic slop, wigged out leftfield, retro synth jams, jazzy Afrofuturism, uplifting soul and LA heat. An extract from its press release reads:
Unlike albums with other titles released under Georgia’s own name, or the outré jazz of her Jyoti alias, ‘VWETO’ is a specific space for deep and vibe heavy hip hop beatscapes. Muldrow composed, performed, recorded, arranged, produced, mixed and mastered the record — which is largely instrumental — with occasional inspired vocals from Georgia, singer Shana Jensen and rapper Ayun Bassa.
“Unforgettable”, one of the led singles from VWETO III has been described as a “solar synth ride, where ‘80s arpeggios meet ‘90s G-funk, anchored by an aqueous bassline and a layered, reverb-drenched choral vocal refrain.”
With Song titles such as ‘Old Jack Swing’, ‘Throwback Baps’, and ‘Boom Bap Is My Homegirl’, the album invokes a deep love for classic hip-hop, along with the soul and funk traditions from which the genre has always borrowed heavily. This transference makes ‘Vweto III’ a perfect gateway through which to appreciate the old in a refreshing new context. In its most vibrant moments, the album feels like venturing out, arms outstretched, releasing the tautness of a body left idle for too long.
“I was listening to an Isaac Hayes LP where even the reverb had grain and texture. I want my music to create an environment”, states Georgia — a creative intention Muldrow met several times over on her new album. From its inception with the brazen bass-right-under-your-bouncing-ass-heavy opening track “Old Jack Swing” — which to me sounds like an eruption of in-motion collective Black joy and celebration — right through to the closing track “Yoself”, Muldrow’s VWETO III is a headphone masterpiece swirling with rhythmic magic, vivid atmosphere and a tactical feel.
Listen to VWETO III here!
Photograph by Drew Gurian
