“I used to piss on my emotions in public, made fun of ’em but always wonderin’ what if/Finally opened up and now I’m here, I can’t believe it took me 25 years…” That’s from Birthday Blues, Alex Granata’s lament of being an older man, with older man thoughts and older man regrets. It’s a rare rap album that’s mature and wise, but not didactic. Introspection is uncommon in the genre, and high-quality self awareness is even more rare. A skateboarding college graduate from Connecticut, Granata is a welcome, original voice.
Really good stuff!
