Pink Siifu is, to put it lightly, a generational artist on a creative streak with one of the best discographies out there. Siifu’s expression, whether it’s under the Pink Siifu name or iiye, has a quality of authenticity with each new release.
Within a musical career spanning almost 11 years, Siifu released a lo-fi punk album, multiple rap albums in different styles, numerous hip-hop production EPs under the iiye name, project collaborations with Fly Anakin, YUNGMORPHEUS, Real Bad Man and Turich Benjy and numerous collaborations in various songs with several artists of a variety of genres that would be too numerous to exhaustively list.
The point is that Siifu is much more than an interlude and is not only prolific, but also earnest in his craft, working with so many other creative types and making beautiful things out of the interactions. The same can be said about his newest album, “BLACK’!ANTIQUE,” released on Jan. 27.
The album’s title track and opener, “BLACK’!ANTIQUE,” begins with distorted vocal samples and a nasty synth wall that is reminiscent of a horror video game or movie soundtrack with how jarring it is. After the synths, there’s only melodic percussion similar to “See You Sweat” by alternative rap trio Injury Reserve and Siifu’s graceful rapping to orient the listener to the album.
Throughout the track, Siifu expresses his creativity and how other people steal his sound instead of being creative themselves. He also shouts out some Black artists who have influenced the culture by making classic art pieces with the bar: “I feel like Ol’ Dirty, I feel like Spike Lee.”
Following the opener, “ALIVE & DIRECT’!” sounds like it uses the musical instrument Otamatone at first, but then there’s a deep and dark synth followed by more distorted vocals. It feels like a dystopian soundscape, especially when there’s screaming. There’s an electric guitar later in the song that makes the song sound even more like a hip-hop adjacent reimagining of a song by the experimental rock band Swans.
“1:1[FKDUP.BEZEL]” follows and sounds less experimental comparatively since it doesn’t use the synth layers, but it continues to build up by the second half. The percussion is reminiscent of the reversed drums on “Volcano” by Swans. The electronic melody near the end of the song slightly sounds like “Critical Mass Error” by experimental rap artist Sybyr with its glitchy beat. “I am not politically correct, please excuse the fucking grammar” as said by Conquest Tony Phillips is a humorous line.
Next, “Sacrifice’!BonAppétit” sounds like it uses a synth from experimental electronic artist Arca’s “kick” series. The beat captures the feeling of anxiety very well. The beat reversing is disorienting in an awe-inspiring way.
“SCREW4LIFE’! RIPJALEN’!” is a tribute to two people: the Texan producer DJ Screw, who pioneered the chopped and screwed subgenre of Southern hip-hop and influenced a plethora of rappers and sounds, most notably cloud rap and Siifu’s cousin named Jalen. The beat in the first half is reminiscent of chopped and screwed production, perfect for riding slow in the night. The second half of the song is a nasty trap beat with an amazing pairing between the 808 and the melody that sounds like an owl. Unfortunately, Siifu said a slur directed at lesbian women in one of his bars.
The next track’s title, “4DOE[47],” seems to reference the late conscious rapper Capital STEEZ’s number 47, which represents the unity of the heart and mind chakras. Since Siifu can get spiritual at times especially with an ethereal and hazy production like this, it fits.
“WHOUWITHHO+” sounds like a spiritual successor to the Southern hip-hop masterpiece “Roscoe’!” from 2021’s “GUMBO’!” except less abrasive.
“TRANSLATION’!” opens with sounds from Latine culture like — but not exactly — bachata at the beginning with a beautifully played bass. Much of the song is this airy, atmospheric production with a percussive instrument that sounds like a deer scarer.
“Girls Fall Out Tha Sky,” with its lush cloud rap production, has a great feature from rapper 454.
“PSA’!” is five minutes of heavenly bliss to the ears. From the lush trumpet sample to the electronic keyboard playing later into the song with the sample drill hi-hats, this is certainly one of the best songs on the album. Rapper Vayda’s verse flows well, being a great addition to the song. Siifu matches her flow with his raspy voice, but it somehow also sounds soothing to listen to despite the abrasive texture.
“FACECARD’!” sounds like an older song by electronic producer Flying Lotus with the melody and upbeat percussion. The minimalist production works in the song’s favor. It’s followed by “LOCKED IN’!” — a track kind of sounds like a hip-hop reimagining of a song by dark ambient producer Father2006.
With short run times, “OUTSIDE’!” and “SleepAtTheWheel’!” are like honorary interludes that follow, barely clocking in at 1:30 and 1:40 respectively. However, the guitar is soothing to listen to in both songs.
“LAST ONE ALIVE’!” is proof that Siifu is a talented and gifted rapper; there is so much passion in his voice. The line “From the city where n***as get shot before they son die” is emphasized in a way that’s very impactful and profound. The tract that follows,
“BLACKWATER’!” is another eerie soundscape, but this time there’s the sound of moving water and an acoustic guitar fluctuating between notes. “Mama’s dying, dying slow” Siifu sings. Here, “Mama” could represent many things, but with the nature sample, it would make sense if Siifu is referring to Mother Nature. The album ends with a well-executed spoken word outro by past collaborator Big Rube that empowers the Black community, saying “Keep rising, like some Black antiques.”
Pink Siifu is incredibly talented at what he does. He continues to innovate in unexpected ways with almost every project he drops while keeping it real to his culture. Pink Siifu has one of the greatest discographies in recent memory, and without a doubt, future historians will find value and worth in his lyrics and production.
Rating: 4.5/5