The old adage goes; every music journalist is really only a frustrated musician. Apart from stating the bleedin’ obvious, it does neatly describe AKIRA THE DON’s transformation from musical hack to aspiring MC.
With audacious claims of wanting to be known as “…the rap Morrisey”, Akira The Don (really the alter-ego of Adam Alphabet from ‘Crack Village’, and left-wing site Playlouder.com) is obviously not short on self-confidence. Although nowhere near as poetic, witty or ironic as Morrisey was in his prime, Akira The Don’s First EP certainly has its moments.
‘John The Baptist’, opens amid heavenly strings; Akira’s introspective rap flows with sleepy ease over the insistent bass, while the female vocal of “Akira the dawn’s breaking” (geddit) gently washes over you, a la Spooks. It’s a beautiful and intriguing opening.
But, after hearing the truly awful ‘Akira The Don’s Drinking Song’, it would be easy to dismiss Akira as some kind of urban novelty act. The irritating Baddiel & Skinner-type football chant chorus is backed by a rudimentary nursery rhyme keyboard, tempting me to paraphrase the infamous Greil Marcus retort: “What is this shit?” If this catches on as a single, Akira’s career, and reputation, could well be over before it begins.
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‘One Bullet’ also fails to hit its target. Sounding like a Peckham-born Eminem, Akira adopts all the Gangsta clichés in his tirade against American imperialism. The lyrics range from the supposed elite antics at Bohemian Grove, to “…let’s storm the fuckin’ palace and burn them, that’ll fuckin’ learn them.” His heart is in the right place, but it sounds flat, tired and worst of all, American. Which is ironic really, considering the subject matter.
All is saved though, with the final track, ‘Liverpool’. An abrasive cutting sound, with a narrative of a 15 year-old Akira running away to Liverpool after a brush with the law. More Mike Skinner than Eminem, this jolts and shudders along at a cracking pace. It’s a triumphant conclusion to a truly mixed bag.
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