Joey Maurice - Black Fist (EP)

After he & Phraynkh P's collaborative effort "Studio 54" earlier this year, Joey Maurice is back with a slow-burning testimonial with "Black Fist. It's poetically potent, weaving what it's like to be a black man in America & reflecting on the many struggles one goes through in emphatic fashion.

The lyrical themes throughout need to be heard & heeded, not just listened to but lived with; you'll walk away from this wanting to do so if you aren't already educating yourself on why black lives will always matter. It's almost bittersweet to me how they remain so resilient through these hardships. The music is peaceful & that gives you a sense of comfort. At the same time, the honest & eye-opening lyricism may make those who may be tired of hearing about these things uncomfortable & that's good because messages like these shall continue to be spoken and be necessary.

This EP is one of those projects that, as I said, you have to live with, there's a lot of lines that could fly over your head & not a single one is wasted or filler material. Every line on this is meant to be heeded, damn near 20 minutes & he still says more than most rappers are willing to, cause either they're just unwilling to take a stand for something in fear of losing something or don't have anything that's of meaning to say. Still, Joey is here to say something that matters, the kind of content people need in these times.