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Upside of Struggle is Kemo’s third solo album on Dead Silence Records, which demonstrates his evolution as an MC and producer. This 12-track incarnation bursts with musical styles and compelling arrangements. Kemo’s lyrical skills stretch back and forth between L.A. street slang and barrio Spanish, never hesitant to show both sides of his composite. He moves the listener through moods, harmoniously encapsulating contradiction, antagonism and the co-existence of good, even during bad times, all with mind bending ease.
The title track, “Upside of Struggle,” tells a story of the artists’ challenges growing up biracial in the barrio and the struggles his mother made as a single parent. Kemo the Blaxican, with his soulful musical maelstrom, brings the listener contagious hooks, grooves and beats, without compromising his signature, raw style. From the opening bars of the title-track, “Upside of Struggle,” the listener knows he’s in for something special. Your head bobs and you’ll find yourself excited with each track; which is removed from the sterile debates and orthodoxies of the time. Upside of Struggle, with its technically interesting beats, intelligent lyrics and coalition of styles makes it a progressive album, bound for national appeal.