Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?

by McKinley Dixon

Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? cover art

McKinley Dixon's 'Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?' is a conscious hip-hop album built upon a foundation of lush, impressionistic jazz arrangements, blending sweeping strings and vivacious brass with a charismatic baritone vocal delivery. Thematically, the album is directly inspired by the literary works of Toni Morrison, with Dixon using his dexterous lyricism and vivid imagery to explore complex narratives of contemporary Black life, grief, and perseverance. Its urgent, cinematic quality juxtaposes tales of survival with warm, intricately layered instrumentation, functioning as a holistic tribute to Morrison's storytelling legacy.

Genres

  • Jazz Rap
  • Conscious Hip Hop

Tracklist

  1. Hanif Reads Toni
  2. Sun, I Rise
  3. Mezzanine Tippin'
  4. Run, Run, Run
  5. Live! from the Kitchen Table
  6. Tyler, Forever
  7. Dedicated to Tar Feather
  8. The Story so Far - Interlude
  9. The Story so Far
  10. Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?