Richmond, Virginia hip-hop artist McKinley Dixon has revealed “Bless the Child”, the final advance single off his forthcoming album For My Mama and Anyone Who Look Like Her.
On previous singles like “Chain Soo Heavy” and “make a poet Black”, Dixon showed off his talent for twisting raps around experimental jazz beats, while “Swangin’” demonstrated how he can channel those unique sonics into a bop. “Bless the Child” brings it all together, with three distinct movements — a reflective opening, a vocal tornado of a bridge, and a thumping final verse — coming together as an encapsulation of the artist’s sound.
In a press release, Dixon explained what those separate segments mean:
“Loosely named after Toni Morrison’s novel God Help the Child, this song is probably a direct relay of me trying to do time travel through processing out loud. Broken up into three sections with three beat switches: The beginning of the song revolves around memories I had with a loved one who passed away abruptly. The bridge revolves around the present, a very conflicted and loud spiral moment with myself questioning my intentions. And it ends with me thinking about what I’m going to do in the future to rectify these feelings I’ve had.”
In addition to the full track, Dixon has shared a music video for the song’s back half, essentially covering the final two movements. Listen to “Bless the Child” and peep the visual ahead.
For My Mama and Anyone Who Look Like Her arrives in full on May 7th, and you can pre-order it now.
