Music / Female hip hop
Review: Akua Naru, The Fleece
An exploration into the inner avenues of hip hop; Akua Naru embodies a true artistic paradigm, displaying activist-like enthusiasm while inspiring her willing disciples within these four walls. From the moment Akua entered the room the audience were hers to control; hypnotised, the followers returned call and response as if trained and rehearsed, allowing cinematic levels of crowd hype and atmosphere.
This was so much more than your average performance, Naru genuinely wanted to empower us – “I don’t know who I’m talking to tonight” she whispered so many times, whilst ushering inspirational words so subtle and so smooth along the attention of her audience. A palpable appreciation could be seen on the faces of many in her presence as she delivered an enviable array of wisdom to the crowd. A truth self-evident, Akua Naru flaunted prevalent spiritualism with natural flare and nuance. This lady is woke. This lady is inspired. Her soul, supreme.
Akua really speaks to the people in the crowd, not just the crowd of people. Insisting that we experience the moment and allow her to “be our shepherd to pure joy”. As the band punched us in the face with funk, the dial truly was cranked – from all areas of hip-hop, rap to jazz to funk, the audience was electrified. Separating from the music, the act breaks as she peels away the mask to allow a more human experience; “I am proof that you can succeed – I’m just a human being”.
is needed now More than ever
Naru has always had a true talent for diction in her live performances; as a poet and artist of self-described spoken soul music, clarity in the sound setup is paramount – it was disappointing to see that this setup was not fully proofed however. From our central position it was impossible to make out the words Naru was undoubtedly annunciating with precision. From a seasoned venue like The Fleece, this was a genuine surprise. The first third of her set was affected, but luckily turned around for Poetry, How Does It Feel. A room like no other in the world; this is the only way to describe a live performance of her masterpiece. Unquestionable levels of rich soul meandering through the weave of an SM58, reaching every inch of one’s being; you would be hard-pressed to find better use for eight-minutes of your life.
“Self-love is the very first romance”.
New Album The Blackest Joy is out now.
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