Feedback made by AJ Tracey in regards to the objectification of girls in rap music have resurfaced, with the ‘Ladbroke Grove’ star arguing that many rappers aren’t “conscious of the severity of what they’re saying”.
Lately, a clip recirculated on-line of the West Londoner speaking on the prestigious Oxford Union in October 2022. A pupil requested Tracey if the objectification of girls in rap and drill was integral to the style’s tradition and find out how to change it.
The ‘Ladbroke Grove’ star started by thanking her for her query, including that it’s “a critical one”.
“I don’t suppose the tradition and the objectification of girls are one and the identical,” he mentioned. “I feel it’s a call younger males make – to rap about sure subjects. Generally they really feel that they’re rapping about their lived experiences however, on the whole, they’re truly hurting a big group of individuals by the feedback they make.
He defined additional: “And, I’m positive a number of them aren’t conscious as a result of they’re younger and naïve. I’m positive I’ve mentioned issues up to now which might be offensive to sure teams however as you study and develop – as a human and as an artist – you study to not say this stuff. Among the environments you develop up in are very poisonous and we don’t study these classes as a child, and we’ve got to study them as an grownup and, by the point you get to an grownup – in case you have the highlight on you – these errors that you just’re making are amplified.”
He added: “So, to reply your query: it’s, once more, one thing that we’ve got to deal with. I don’t suppose a number of the youth which might be making a number of the feedback that you’re alluding to: they’re not conscious of the severity of what they’re saying and the way hurtful it’s to different folks. So, it’s one thing that we have to train, for positive.
“As I say, any good artist is rising and evolving – any human, to be trustworthy. We’re all altering and we have to look out for one another and guarantee that we’re pulling folks up after we can.”
On the time of the speech, the rapper launched The AJ Tracey Fund to assist Black and Ethnic Minority college students at St Peters School, Oxford in mild of the discrimination he confronted all through his profession. When requested what motivated him to take action, he mentioned he hopes to “assist underrepresented college students have a better time.”
Lately, Tracey confirmed that he was engaged on his third studio album. In a radio interview, he confirmed there’d be “good options” on the album and that he was impressed by UK funky music, grime and dancehall.
Whereas chatting with NME again in Could, he revealed that the album is “principally completed” and “undoubtedly coming this 12 months.” He promised that his long-awaited LP – which can function the follow-up to 2021’s ‘Flu Recreation’ – can be “a really British sounding” one.
Since 2021, Tracey has launched 5 singles: in 2022, he dropped the frenetic ‘Cheap’ and Jersey club-inspired ‘Seoul’. The next 12 months, he shared just one single, ‘Wifey Riddim 4’ – the romantic fourth instalment in his ‘Wifey Riddim’ music collection.
This 12 months the 30-year-old put out two extra tracks: he combined baile funk with lo-fi rap on ‘Joga Bonito’ and samples Kyla‘s funky home hit ‘Do You Thoughts’ on ‘Bubble Bathtub’. He additionally teamed up with Skrillex and BEAM to characteristic on ‘Make A W’ from Headie One’s newest album, ‘The Final One’.
In a four-star assessment of ‘Flu Recreation’, NME mentioned Tracey “stays in a league of his personal” and “crafted one other profitable venture whose streaming numbers, singles and infectious melodies will stay on in reminiscence.”
Again in August, he shocked followers at Jorja Smith’s set at Studying Pageant to carry out their 2019 UK Quantity Three collaboration, ‘Ladbroke Grove’ – a music NME has lauded as one of the vital “important UK storage anthems” ever.
