The White Mandingos – The Ghetto Is Tryna Kill Me

The White Mandingos – The Ghetto Is Tryna Kill Me
Fat Beats: 2013

“Hardcore hip-hop with some punk in it.” That’s how The White Mandingos introduce their new record The Ghetto is Tryna Kill Me. So is it a revolutionary reunion of sounds or just a clever gimmick?

Meet The White Mandingos:  Murs, talented militant urban storyteller and man of many projects, Darryl Jenifer, bassist with original DC punks Bad Brains, and Sacha Jenkins SHR, co-founder of Ego Trip magazine, here on guitar duties. A bizarre combo perhaps? But then again, Murs is no stranger to punk rock, having already recorded and played with Florida band Whole Wheat Bread as The Invincibles and Darryl Jenifer, in turn, has shared several rap collaborations. In fact, as Jenkins explains in a recent interview, he and Jenifer got together about a decade ago to begin recording some demos with another mystery rapper.

Anyway, rap-rock, or rapcore, whatever you call it, is nothing new. Think RATM, Beastie Boys, Chilli Peppers, even the BlakRoc album more recently; it goes way back a long way. But this album really grabs you. Hardcore punk and conscious rap have always shared some elements in common. Both, unlike most electronic or rock music since the late ’70s, promote positivity and a DIY attitude, a real message, something to fight for.  It’s a pity their racial stereotypes aren’t broken more often. Now, in the same way many a white musician has adopted and channeled black music to make it more accessible to their audience, The White Mandingos are pushing different musical directions onto hip-hop fans.

So to any hip-hop heads who hear the punky shouts and fuzzy guitars on this record and decide tit’s not for them, force yourself to give it another chance. Forget the stereotypes attached to music. As Murs says: “Does this shit sound black? Does this shit sound white? Can’t it just be sound?”

Although it’s hard to forget these things to rest when it’s pretty much all that Murs and co. talk about. This album is maddeningly self-critical and race-obsessed. Even the name is controversial, “Mandingo” referring to a West African people. Our three heroes don’t fit into either world, and walk the line between dignity and bravery, not deliberately offending or disappointing fans, but rather counting on their open-mindedness and trust to follow them on this musical adventure.

Throughout the album, it’s sometimes difficult to figure out if Murs is playing a character or being himself. It’s only on the fifteenth track, “Too Late”, that the White Mandingos properly introduce us to the narrator, fictional Tyrone White from Harlem. Watch the video to “Mandingo Rally” to better understand the different contradictions and conflicting personalities of our protagonist.

The album is so self-conscious and analytical concerning race that it can leave you quite confused. When the trio cover Minor Threat’s “Guilty Of Being White”, it’s hard to handle the irony and understand what they are trying to do. There are open, angry disses to various celebrities, and burst of “swag” just to throw you off. It’s clear that many of the lyrical themes here are the work of Sacha Jenkins, whose participation in “The Big Book Of Racism” shows his interest in the topic. The mix of three cities is also pretty evident here, with DC hardcore, L.A. punk/backpack rap, and New York lyrical themes thrown into the mix.

Musically, this record has some reggae thrown into the punk-rap cauldron, along with some screwed voices and trippy guitars, sometimes all in the same track. It could all have gone horribly wrong, but strangely it seems to work. There are only a couple weak moments here, with riffs sometimes sounding slightly boring, and transitions a little sloppy. But for the most part, Murs’ flow, combined with Jenkins and Jenifer’s guitars, sound really powerful.

Listening to this album is an education. It may incite you to delve deeper into music you were’t interested in before, it will also get you leaping to your local library to look up the many references peppered throughout. In the end, it’s only Murs’ voice that’s left, a cappella, and a message of love. It’s a nice note to leave on, and, as Murs says, a reminder to “listen with your heart”. So go on, give it a listen, make your own mind up.

4 out of 5