Thought Provokah- ‘Elysenya’ [Album Review]

Elysenya is the latest project from Indie NY-based hip-hop artist, rapper/songwriter Thought Provokah. Known for his insightful songwriting and complex thematic projects, Thought Provokah surely lives up to his name as he continues to give audiences something to ponder with every line and song. This new project is a 12-track project that fuses Afro-futurism with contemporary real-time issues, ranging from identity, trauma, and healing. Similar to his previous projects, Thought Provokah brings a raw, unapologetic take on the topics over pounding boom-bap beats.

“The Time At My Altar” helps set the tone with its reflective and sombre vibe and leads into the soulful “Ashes and Altars” featuring Talen Ted. Backed by a lush soundscape with soft grooves, Thought Provokah embodies his Christian faith and shows how he traverses the secular world with his head up high. Lines like “In the power of the tongue,Proverbs 18:21/So I speak in some let the candle wick run/And the incense burn with the ashes/call us bastards saying Our fathers with the natural light, my parent company is Seinheiser” underscore his expressive stream-of-consciousness songwriting.  Next is the spoken word piece, “Welcome to Elysenya,” which opens up the floodgates to the theme of the project and explores the concept of growth. The next track, “Without You,” featuring Numbz is a heartfelt piece that is anchored on trials, tribulations and the pain of being alone in an unforgiving world. The soundscape is ultra soulful and nostalgic.

“The World Lied to You Black Man” is the second spoken word interlude on the project, and it’s a continuation from the previous one. This iteration focuses on the life pressures black men face every day and how society was engineered to make black men cannon fodder, but the speaker reminds us of our true purpose as Black men on this planet. “B-Happy” featuring  Talen Ted  is an insightful take on modern masculinity and the ongoing battle of the sexes that is the rage online. Here, Thought Provokah employs a nuanced take on the issue, reminding us of our true roles as man and women. The use of that classic sample is dope and serves as the right backdrop to help bring the track to life. “The Tale Of Two Freemans” starts with a clip from the legendary TV show, The Boondocks and sees the rapper playing the roles of Huey and Riley. The track samples the theme song of the show as well, and the result is a thought-provoking (no pun intended) track that audiences can relate to. “Dead Residents” is another brilliant jam that showcases excellent songwriting and imagery from Thought Provokah. The track uses the same piano loop from Jay Z’s “Dead Presidents” and a clip from the cult film Belly. The third spoken word piece, “Rage is Not Your Enemy,” talks about inner rage and anger from the Black man’s perspective and offers an alternative way of expressing one’s frustrations.  Another notable track is the semi-autobiographical “I’ve Arrived Before” featuring  duMB-o.

The final spoken word piece, “Tzari’s Ancestor Samantha,” explores the unification of kindred souls in the right space and time. This leads into the final track, “Elysenya on Earth,” which is an insightful piece that details rebuilding a world free from hatred and the echoes of the turbulent past. Thought Provokah laid down some ground rules and the required steps to follow over 2 minutes of soulful soundscapes.

Elysenya lives up to its title and sticks to its core themes from start to finish. There is quite a lot to unpack from the reflective, uplifting tracks to the soul-stirring spoken word pieces that thread the project together.