Real Rap with The Real Deal
As a hard-core rap fan, I must confess that there’s something about minimalism in rap songs that I just dig. Of course I love the glitzy, starry productions — numbers like ‘Smack That’ (Akon) and ‘All of the Lights’ (Kanye West, Rihanna) are among my all-time favs. But tracks like ‘Flava in Ya Ear’, Craig Mack’s timeless classic with the genius of Easy Mo Bee behind the bare bones soundtrack… it doesn’t get much better than that.
So, when ‘True Pimpin’ by The Real Deal showed up on a Spotify playlist I was checking out (I think it was called “King Mi: Fall Hits”), the song had instant appeal with its simple, four-beat rhythm, vintage doorbell-style chime and sassy lyrics — “rollin up with the nigga Snoop D-O-double-G… not really; Dope, can’t a nigga m*$thaf@ckin dream?”
Hitting the artist’s profile, I bumped all his other tracks, and found them to be nearly all dope. Some of them went real deep, like ‘Love & Hate’, with its portrayal of the two emotions as inextricably linked to one another; I particularly dug the analogy to yin and yang in the song. ‘I’m Gonna Miss You’ was a powerful number whose raw honesty and fresh pain combined with its low-key production to pack a punch. But the track that really stood out was ‘Shot Clock’, an unrivaled anthem to basketball. The line, “who’s gonna take the last shot this time?” stuck in my head long after the track ended. Other tracks that rounded out the artist’s versatility included ‘Best Friend’, with a surprisingly uplifting feel despite its repetitive refrain, the nothing-concealed ‘Lights Off’ and ‘The Last Dance’ an unusual, musical tribute to a basketball documentary film.
Hooked by the varied styles and themes of The Real Deal’s repertoire, I started digging, wanting to know more about the artist’s background and influences. It didn’t take too long, just a few Insta messages and a phone call later, I had a direct line to Micah Hawkins, aka The Real Deal (henceforth TRD), the Chicago-based indie rapper. An exchange of messages with the talented artist proved both interesting and inspiring, so I decided to share with our readers a sneak peek into the motives and mission of this rising rapper.
The first question I had for TRD concerned his diverse choice of themes (which is not so common among up-and-coming rappers these days, as I’m sure our readers will agree). The young versifier’s response — that he draws inspiration from the flow of life, rapping about whatever is current and important to him in the moment — was at once refreshingly honest and reassuringly grounded. Rap, after all, is supposed to be a reflection of life.
When asked which artists had been role models for his own music, TRD’s response was immediate and his enthusiasm unmistakable. There were numerous hip-hop artists he’d admired over the years, including the ‘OG’ greats as they’re known, and masters like Snoop Dogg… but if there were an artist with whom he hoped to do a collaborative project someday, it was Drake.
Did he see his music as having a purpose, I wanted to know. TRD’s thoughtful answer reflected his candor as well as the fact that he’s obviously thought about this question a lot: Making music about what was meaningful to him was his way of reaching out and making a contribution to the world. And some of the issues that meant much to him were likewise important to many others, too, he’d seen over time — justice and equity, the power of love and, of course, the incredibly inspiring stories of black athletes.
Though a die-hard Chicago Bulls fan, he’d felt moved and uplifted by the struggles and successes of so many African American athletes — Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and many more; he’d tried to share that unbreakable spirit through his track, ‘Shot Clock’. It came through clearly, I had to agree. What was the most important thing he valued as an artist, was my next question. Autonomy, was his prompt answer… being an artist who, “wants to remain independent” was at the heart of his own challenges and struggles as an artist.
Given how TRD’s Spotify profile is rapidly catching up to his already popular YouTube channel, with both poised for ever-greater outreach, I’d say that this is one artist who’s writing a real success story as an independent rapper. More power to you, TRD.
