We don’t talk about Janelle Monáe enough and the conversation around her rap skills is even smaller. However the time is now to laud her musical prowess. There aren’t many rappers out there dropping concept albums, in fact most artists generally stay away from them all together. Where others tremble, Janelle dominates. Each of her musical suites brings more raps to the table; here are the top five that qualify Janelle amongst the greats.
The accompanying emotion picture for “Many Moons” shows the rhyme scheme as a glitch in Cindi Mayweather’s programming. Janelle calls it a “cybernetic chantdown,” for purposes of explaining I’ll call them analogy couplets, but it’s really just one of the first inklings of her theatrical raps. It interrupts the musical performance setting the mood for the Annual Android Auction hosted by none other than Sir Lucious Leftfoot. In attendance; a tech dandy, the captain of the Metropolis Police, the Punk Prophets, a crime lord, and of course a few dozen models of the Android 9000 all played by Janelle. As the variations saunter and march down the catwalk Cindi inches closer to consciousness. The realization eventually cripples her and her electric spirit fizzles out. Her display of oppression’s duality is amplified with the rhyme scheme displayed in the rap portion of the song.
Fish tank, small bowl
Closed mind, dark hold
Cybergirl, droid control
Get away now they trying to steal your soul
While it overtly speaks to the socio-political standing of the Android Universe she’s created, it’s also a testament to how long Janelle’s music has been political. Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) was a short offering, however it shows all the skill has been there from the beginning.
On ArchAndroid there are two rap helpings, “Dance or Die” and “Neon Valley Street.” The latter takes the listener from the elegant melodies of a far away love to the macabre ten bars of a runaway. She carefully constructs a melody to reach her human lover Anthony Greendown and only him. It also holds as a motivator for her big escape from Metropolis, dreaming of the day they meet again. The escapism of holding hands is broken by the reality of running away.
But the time was wrong
Illegal aliens moaned
It’s such a pity that the city’s just a danger zone
Here Cindi channels the strength of Harriet Tubman and John Henry before her. Using their historical examples as a coach to evade the chase. She paints a picture of the ills of war with her words. It’s just a small moment of rap this go around, but the juxtaposition of the songs stylings help propel the album narrative forward. Genius.
Original art by Sadé Robinson
Saul Williams’ bridge on “Dance or Die” has to be a subtle call back to the analogy couplets on “Many Moons.” Where the previous songs on this playlist have only a small touch of rap on them, “Dance or Die” is a straight up rap record. Monáe weaves her rhymes in and out of her science fiction narrative with ease; echoing sentiments of the marginalized from any universe.
Some will pull the gun because they want to be stars
Snatching up your life into the blink of an eye
Ghettos keep a crying out to streets full of zombies
Kids are killing kids and then the kids join the army
She rhymes about the woes of an improperly governed society and nearly predicts how social media has affected our views of violence. As the Android’s savior, Cindi vows to learn from the past lest she be doomed to let it repeat itself. It’s a call to wake the people up from their mind numbing addictions to make a change. Though she won’t wait for everyone to join in her quest for freedom, the train is moving with or without the masses on board.
You either dance or you die.
There are many odes written by Janelle that speak of empowerment, “Electric Lady” is no different in that aspect. However instead of the Pro-Android message her songs usually carry, this one is specifically for the ladies. In a fictional sorority, called Electro Phi Beta, Monaé uplifts her R&B peers Kimbra, Monica, Estelle, Esperanza Spaulding, and T-Boz with moving photographs on the wall. The visual, directed by frequent collaborator Alan Ferguson, features a good clean fun version of a sorority party. It would fit right into the promotional video for an HBCU.
Society preaches on and on about what women should and should not do. To that Janelle says, “I’ll reprogram your mind.” We’re out here shattering glass ceilings, living the wildest dreams of the women who sacrificed so much for us to be here today. Long before she was in Hidden Figures, Janelle was making battle cries for the everywoman doing her part to make the world go round.
We the kind of girls who ain’t afraid to get down
Electric ladies go on and scream out loud
“Django Jane” served as one of the first two lead singles from the recent offering Dirty Computer. Instead of hiding amongst the R&B that typically holds the majority of run time, Monáe lead with the rap punches. This time around her femme centered empowerment comes with a new trophy, and she’s on the prowl for a few more. Her light and airy sorority house has turned to a hidden lair for the revolution. The stakes are higher now and the reckoning is coming. Now that all of her cards are out on the table; her acting chops and queer identity, it’s time to lay out all the receipts of success.
Already got a Oscar for the casa
Runnin’ down Grammys with the family
Prolly give a Tony to the homies
Prolly get a Emmy dedicated to the
Highly melanated, ArchAndroid orchestrated
Since her first introduction into the music business she was theatrical; there’s a silent race towards EGOT status and at this rate Janelle Monáe will be waiting at the finish line. We’ve seen her acting chops already, and her skill for choosing quality projects, so theoretically an Emmy will be easy. She earned her first charted number one with Dirty Computer, Grammy’s should come soon enough. Her background in theater makes the Tony less of an if and more of a when.
If she the G.O.A.T. now, would anybody doubt it?
Do anybody got it?
It’s high time that all of Janelle’s talents are respected, like that of her predecessor Dana Owens. They both act, sing, and rap extremely well. It’s time to hand out the tiaras, though Monáe is already a “Q.U.E.E.N.”
Here’s the Apple Music playlist, if you’re down for some lyrical dishes.