Candle Chant

All Y'All English-Only Peeps Please Keep An Open Mind

Candle Chant [A Tribute] ft. Boss the MC by DJ Krush

Recommended by Amy

"Because I like it and want to know what you think."

Y'all I had to do some intense digging for this. It's a 15-year old song written as a tribute to a fan (Lafura Jackson) and fellow emcee, who passed away. Here's the story straight from an interview with DJ Krush:

Candle Chant, is a song about a Japanese guy I knew, who was half-Japanese, half-black. But he died because of a cancer. He was a real hiphop fan, and he was an MC also, and he really liked my music. I met him in hospital, and he wanted so much to do a track with me. So, we were planning to work together, but he died before we could do it…So Ill-Bosstino and me, we decided to write a song, which was Candle Chant at the end.

Really, this guy had lots of talent…Unfortunately, he was bullied and discriminated [against] when he was a kid in school, because he had black blood. But he was saying meaningful things like “I have two bloods in me, so I’m twice as strong!”...He was a great guy. (Source)

The fan's mother called DJ Krush and asked for him to visit the hospital "because it would give him the courage to fight" (x). Jackson was only 24 when he died.

This song is about [the fan] and about the pure connection of a very limited time together and how certain circumstances brought us together. The last lyric in Japanese on that song says you will always be in our soul so it's about connecting with somebody and no matter where they go, we are always together, and he will always be here. He was a very powerful young man. (Source) 

Context always helps, but it was particularly important in this case. Since I don't speak the language and translations can often be shady, this backstory increased my appreciation of the song exponentially.

I found English lyrics here. The guy doesn't seem 100% confident...I think some of it gets lost in translation, but it still reads like poetry. It's nice to read while you listen.

Candle Chant has that old-school feel. The rhythm of the rapping is simple, the riff repeats without modification throughout the track, and the beat is distinct but slow.

The instrumentals hint at the serious nature of the lyrics, but you really get the emotion from the tone of voice. Even without reading up on the history, I think it's clear that we're meant to be in mourning something.

Finally, I love that intro/outro. You can feel Jackson's spirit infused into the music.

Overview:

Genre:
Underground Hip Hop

Favorite Lyrics:
Like a star, I could vanish like I never existed
As I sit here quietly in the corner of this the year 2000.

Verdict:
lit af