Idris Goodwin's Top Three Songs Off His New Album, Rhyming While Black
By Kyle Eustice
As the promo for Idris Goodwin's new album, Rhyming While Black, gets underway, the Colorado Springs-based artist may need a bit of an introduction. The HBO Def Jam poet, award-winning playwright, author, professor, and emcee grew up in Chicago, but has spread his wings to New Mexico, Michigan, Colorado, and beyond. His first book, 2011's These Are the Breaks, shone a spotlight on his incredible writing talent and garnered significant accolades from NPR, which is no easy task. His play, How We Got On, premiered at Actors Theatre of Louisville's 2012 Humana Festival and was nominated for an ATCA Steinberg New Play Award and published by Playscripts, How We Got On is being remounted across the country. Currently teaching a hip-hop class at Colorado College, Goodwin is proud to unveil his latest full-length album, Rhyming While Black. He took a few moments to explain his top three favorite tracks on the new record. Check out for more information.
"The Song Speaks For Itself"
I love all my children equally, but if I had to pick just three I'd have to start with "The Song Speaks For Itself" because that was the first song I wrote for the album. It is the spark from which the entire album was conceived. I wanted to created a challenging album. Something dense and diverse and strange and thematically strong. Song Speaks is loud and chaotic, big shouts to New Mexico's Diles who made the beat.
"Get Over It"
My second choice would be "Get Over It." Mainly because it features my sister, Layla Goodwin from Detroit. But also, its my attempt at writing a blues in the hip hop idiom. Also, it was initially written to two different beats but things happened and I couldn't use them. So in swoops my long time collaborator, Chicago's DJ ALO. He created a music scape purely from the vocal tracks. I think it works better than either of the two beats I wrote to initially.
"Say My Name"
Finally, I gotta go with "Say My Name." Not just because it's formally different, essentially a spoken word piece over music (crafted by another Chi-Town musician Justin J. Mayer), but also it represents what I feel to be an alternative sort of protest. Merely telling one's own unique specific narrative, he or she is challenging the narrow dominant stories perpetuated. It's the simplest thing; telling the story of your own name, but in doing so you can uncover a lot and touch on the socio political.
Bonus Track: "Rhyming While Black"
BONUS: Okay, I have to sneak in one more (it's a short song), but "Rhyming While Black," the title track. It's a collaboration with my homie Brian Quijada. This is just stripped down raw rhymes and beatbox with some harp flare also provided by Qujada.
Idris Goodwin picks Top 3 songs off his new album
Idris Goodwin's Top Three Songs Off His New Album, Rhyming While Black
By Kyle Eustice
As the promo for Idris Goodwin's new album, Rhyming While Black, gets underway, the Colorado Springs-based artist may need a bit of an introduction. The HBO Def Jam poet, award-winning playwright, author, professor, and emcee grew up in Chicago, but has spread his wings to New Mexico, Michigan, Colorado, and beyond. His first book, 2011's These Are the Breaks, shone a spotlight on his incredible writing talent and garnered significant accolades from NPR, which is no easy task. His play, How We Got On, premiered at Actors Theatre of Louisville's 2012 Humana Festival and was nominated for an ATCA Steinberg New Play Award and published by Playscripts, How We Got On is being remounted across the country. Currently teaching a hip-hop class at Colorado College, Goodwin is proud to unveil his latest full-length album, Rhyming While Black. He took a few moments to explain his top three favorite tracks on the new record. Check out for more information.
"The Song Speaks For Itself"
I love all my children equally, but if I had to pick just three I'd have to start with "The Song Speaks For Itself" because that was the first song I wrote for the album. It is the spark from which the entire album was conceived. I wanted to created a challenging album. Something dense and diverse and strange and thematically strong. Song Speaks is loud and chaotic, big shouts to New Mexico's Diles who made the beat.
"Get Over It"
My second choice would be "Get Over It." Mainly because it features my sister, Layla Goodwin from Detroit. But also, its my attempt at writing a blues in the hip hop idiom. Also, it was initially written to two different beats but things happened and I couldn't use them. So in swoops my long time collaborator, Chicago's DJ ALO. He created a music scape purely from the vocal tracks. I think it works better than either of the two beats I wrote to initially.
"Say My Name"
Finally, I gotta go with "Say My Name." Not just because it's formally different, essentially a spoken word piece over music (crafted by another Chi-Town musician Justin J. Mayer), but also it represents what I feel to be an alternative sort of protest. Merely telling one's own unique specific narrative, he or she is challenging the narrow dominant stories perpetuated. It's the simplest thing; telling the story of your own name, but in doing so you can uncover a lot and touch on the socio political.
Bonus Track: "Rhyming While Black"
BONUS: Okay, I have to sneak in one more (it's a short song), but "Rhyming While Black," the title track. It's a collaboration with my homie Brian Quijada. This is just stripped down raw rhymes and beatbox with some harp flare also provided by Qujada.
