by It’s Black history month, and we must say, African Americans are depressingly underrepresented in our society as a whole, and even more so specifically in our music communities. With the very foundation of electronic music stemming from black culture, it’s pure insanity that they receive so little recognition for literally laying the groundwork for everything we know and hold dear today, and are often shut-out of the conversation entirely. The immense issue of racism that permeates our culture here in the United States is one that has been around for hundreds of years, but with the availability of social media to share information instantaneously, it’s had an ever-growing light shined on its ugliness. With a major focus of late specifically on police and their interactions with people of color, protests have become increasingly commonplace in everything from metropolitan cities with millions of people, to small rural towns where farm animals might outnumber humans.
One such city that saw a major uptick in protests after the brutal murder of George Floyd by former officer Derek Chauvin was Chicago, Illinois. What accompanies protests against police brutality? Why, more police brutality, of course. At one such protest in Chicago over the summer, local hip hop vocalist Mohawk Johnson was arrested for allegedly assaulting an officer with a skateboard, something that he vehemently denies and equates the accusations to retaliation and harassment. With such a longstanding history in our country of civil rights activists being targeted by law enforcement, it would come as no surprise to find these charges a complete fabrication, but for now, Mohawk must live with the fall-out.
In times of extreme despair and anxiety, some of the greatest works of art of our time have been created. Just as diamonds are formed from carbon being put under pressure for extended periods of time, artists use their craft to express their feelings and connect with all who consume their product. In this instance, Mohawk and 3 of his other prodigious friends (ell!psis, Cam Stacey, and TYGKO) came together over the course of a single weekend to create the 4CLOSURE tape, a 4-track affair that will leave hip hop heads thoroughly satisfied.
Recently, ell!psis was chosen as the winner of Baauer‘s Beat Battle by none other than Diplo, so you already know production is going to be top-tier throughout the length of the project. The first track, ‘Abel and Cain’ is a perfect representation of just that, boasting sensational bounce and tight mixing that makes each element pop ever-so-satisfyingly. In the bible, Abel and Cain were brothers and were both forced to make sacrifices, but God favored Abel’s sacrifice over Cain’s. In this instance, this title is an allusion to the favoritism and privilege that white people experience and benefit from over people of color in our society. This piece is exceptionally aggressive, engorging the ego and dripping swagger and undeniable stylistic prowess.
Starting off in a lighthearted fashion with a faded-out vocal loop that is reminiscent of old school Saturday morning cartoons, ‘Cartoons’ carries underlying youthful energy that paints a picture of Mohawk’s daily life since his start of house arrest. The dichotomy of the energetic beat with the extremely serious vocals makes the piece more palatable for casual listening but doesn’t detract from the severity of the issues that it confronts. Depression, being stuck at home eating junk food for comfort, playing videogames to mentally escape, and an overwhelming sense that the world is working against him are just some of the topics that are dealt with.
Throwing somber, powerful energy into the air so thick you could cut it with a knife, ‘Stirrups’ is one of the most heartfelt pieces on 4CLOSURE. With raw emotion at the forefront of the track, listeners will be left gripped by the story of how downtrodden black people feel today and how the people that are paid (with our tax dollars) to “protect and serve” are actually those that inflict the most pain. A thought-provoking tale told through rhyme, compulsive relistens are mandatory to get the full impact of the message.
Ending 4CLOSURE with an ethereal flare, the electricity created by the underlying beats in ‘Balance’ exceptionally highlights the undeniable prowess ell!psis has as a producer, while simultaneously throwing massive verses over the top to create a truly impressive concoction. It opens with a heavenly soundscape that commands attention before beginning the last chapter in this story. Imploring people to do more than just say they want change to occur, it demands a call to action for support in the form of actually showing up and amplifying the voices of the oppressed, not just simply stating that you support the cause. A piece that challenges people to do more than just voice their opinions on social media, ‘Balance’ aims to get people to truly achieve balance, and to actually be about it, not just simply stating that they are.
4CLOSURE is such an important body of work that encapsulates the overarching struggles of modern society through the eyes of POC. This tape wears its heart on its sleeve and pulls no punches when confronting the real truths in our culture and the dire changes that need to be implemented. In order to gain more insight into the collection, we took the opportunity to ask the group a few questions about the project itself, Mohawk’s story, and how we can collectively come together to support him in these trying times. I highly urge you to read the interview below, donate to his legal fund, and call the Illinois state attorney’s office to demand his charges be dropped.
What’s the meaning behind the name 4CLOSURE, and what was the intention behind the project?
TYGKO: the title of the project reflects our feelings of being ordered to stay inside while, simultaneously, being kicked out of the house when we got doxxed by Chicago PD. This time led to a lot of the thoughts and feelings expressed on the project. The intention was to get all four of us on one project and to see how much we could do in a couple days if we tried! These four songs are that effort.
ell!psis: When we met to come up with names, we realized this had a lot of layers to it. On a surface level, the project has 4 tracks, and there’s 4 of us living together. As you’ll notice throughout the work itself, all of it explores the idea of coming to terms with all that’s been going on, between COVID, missing the homies, seasonal depression and of course, Mohawk’s current situation.
Every piece of music carries with it a piece of the people that helped put it together. What do you believe 4CLOSURE carries from you all?
TYGKO: When I listen to the project, I can hear most obviously the pain of being stuck inside with no relief. I think it carries our will to keep thriving in a situation that begs us to give up. Every step of the way we were fully focused on the task at hand, immersed in it. That energy carries through the full tape.
Mohawk: Something I find prevalent throughout the project is a longing, even in the moments of levity. We all want to go outside while acknowledging that we can’t. That is particularly difficult for me being on house arrest and awaiting trial. We all want to return to a sense of normalcy, safety, security, and change. I believe that is something consistent throughout the release.
Walk us through Mohawk’s story, and how the average person can help bring awareness + support to him in these trying times.
Cam: Mohawk was arrested at a protest in Chicago in August on allegations of violence toward a police officer. Within twenty-four hours, Chicago Police disseminated Mohawk’s mugshot alongside our home address, implying “Look at this scary, black man arrested from a protest against police! Lock your doors!” before we even knew where he was being held. Since then, Mohawk has dealt with violent threats, denial of his right to counsel on a couple occasions, a faulty GPS anklet that tells the system he’s violating house arrest while he’s sitting on the couch, and combating a false narrative that he’s a threat to society when he’d much rather be putting in hours on Zelda and writing/rapping in peace than swinging on cops… all before he’s even stood trial.
You can support Mohawk in many ways, monetarily and otherwise, at this link: https://linktr.ee/FreeMohawk
All money made at the PayPal as well as the Venmo @Free-Mohawk and CashApp $releasethebeanz goes toward Mohawk’s legal fees and living expenses while he looks for work.
Mohawk: I was arrested for allegedly hitting an armored riot cop 3 or 4 times on the helmet. I am being charged with 8 counts of aggravated battery, which is double the amount of times I allegedly struck the officer according to my prosecutor. I was beaten, pepper-sprayed, slurred and arrested. I am essentially being charged for allegedly doing to a cop what they do to us regularly often for no reason. I was placed on house arrest despite white people with the similar, sometimes worse, charges being allowed to walk free and often have their charges completely dropped. I have been receiving death threats regularly. My ankle monitor reports that I am not home while I sit on the couch watching Ben 10 or playing Pokemon. My prosecutor uses these reports in court despite notes from the monitoring company stating that I have indeed been at home. My case is not about justice. It’s about police proving that they can beat you in public and that if you dare consider retaliation, they will actively ruin your life.
Black people went to that protest to demand that police stop murdering us and that ICE stop caging children. Police showed up to that protest to tell us, “No.” They even laughed while they beat us. They are currently being sued federally for their crimes but that and a plethora of recent police scandals has had little effect on my case. Too many people are willing to take a police account of events at face value even though they have been caught lying multiple times in the last few months.
Calling the state’s attorney’s office 312-603-1880 and demanding my charges be dropped is helpful. They need to know that they can’t do whatever they want to people. They can’t murder people and then crucify protesters publicly in order to scare us away.
What’s next on the horizon for all of you both collectively and individually?
ell!psis: This project came together in the span of one weekend right after the holidays. It was a really fun way for us all to bond in a self-imposed pressure cooker and capture a moment we shared. Moving forward, I think I speak for the whole house in saying we each have LOTS of music on the way individually. Beyond that, we’re pretty much just waiting for vaccines and doing all we can to help Mohawk be free.
Cam: No announcements, just drops. Follow all of us, we’re always putting out new stuff.
