Artemisia

Hailing from Burkina Faso, Art Melody is a farmer by day and rapper and singer by night, bringing a fresh take on the ggriot tradition. His eighth album, Artemisia, draws on influences from both sides of the Atlantic, melding heritage West African sounds with samples, synths and his own idiosyncratic flow.

What strikes you immediately about Melody is his voice – impossibly deep. The verses of opening track ‘Boukma’ are delivered with power and raw-edged eloquence to evoke a trance-like tone. The next thing you notice is how much this album owes to the European and American rappers of the early 90s – the spirit of Oxmo Puccino and Mobb Deep are palpable throughout Melody's work. Tracks such as ‘Ana N’Parata’ and ‘Zink Drapowan’ lean on those classic dopamine-inducing 70s soul samples, with the latter featuring the scratchy vocals of Rudeboy Remington – singer with Dutch rap-rock outfit Urban Dance Squad. With all this activity though, that raw power of Melody's voice, with its griot authority, can get lost in the background – ‘Baof Rinda’ goes some way towards resetting the balance, offering a stripped-back beat over which Melody lets loose on that more traditional sound, but with a lightning-fast delivery that roots it firmly in the present.