I am learning, from seeing what Dell has done on Instagram to promote his album Black Sheep, that I know nothing about Instagram.
For days I’ve been trying to figure out how to link to the commercial that Dell (aka Rmb Dell88) made for the album. (I finally did you can see it here) It all takes place at the farm with Dell and the sheep. Even Fate makes an appearance.
Dell’s voice-over for the commercial is the introduction to the album. In it he talks about what being a Black Sheep means to him…
“Black sheep is a term often used for the outcast
someone who doesn’t fit in
Who’s to say I want to fit in
or what does it mean to fit in
I don’t care how you view me
I just know that I’m comfortable in my own skin
I’m comfortable with being myself
I’ve been able to find peace in my pain
I’m not who you want me to be
I’m who I choose to be
A Black man
A Black King
The Black Sheep
Now watch me prosper”
I got chills after hearing Dell’s words and wanted to hear more.
Black Sheep, the album came out on October 21st, which is also Dell’s Birthday. I downloaded it from Apple music (it’s also on Itunes)
I’ve never listened to Rap music before. But I’ve always appreciated it creatively. It was the discussions around Rap when it became mainstream, that got me thinking about and helped me form some of my own beliefs about artists, authenticity and responsibility.
On my first listen there were three songs that stuck with me, Be Yourself, Peace of Mind, and Down Fall.
Some of the language in the songs is beyond me. Like trying to figure out how Instagram works, many of the phrases and references are lost on me. I’m a 57-year-old white woman living in upstate NY. It’s not my culture or my generation. But I listen to lots of music with lyrics in languages I don’t speak.
Music has always been about feeling for me. And there’s a lot of feeling in Rmb Dell88’s music.
You can download Rmb Dell88’s new album Black Sheep here.
That commercial was awesome. And yes, the words of Dell’s intro are powerful. The video editing was also amazing considering at one point it looked as if Fate was actually herding sheep (!?!), Ascher was an outstanding supporting creature (you would never know he and Dell had only just met that day), and there was ‘Hat Man’ Jon’s walk-off cameo (likely back to the wardrobe barn). Might just have to check out the album, although Rap is not my usual genre either; but at it’s heart, it’s just poetry to the beat of a different drummer.
I think “poetry to the beat of a different drummer” is so right Amy.