August Alsina- Testimony

Okay, so my last blog post on August Alsina, really didn’t do him any justice and so I had to write another one. It has been a month now since I first had a listen to his music and believe me when I tell you I have not been listening to anyone else’s music but his.

Like I said in my last post, I kept seeing his name pop up on social media sites and at first I thought he was a rapper but August Alsina is a 21 year old RnB singer from New Orleans (yes that is really his birth name). He is signed to Def Jam and it really seems like RnB music is alive again with the likes of K Michelle, Sevyn Streeter, Tamar Braxton and TGT all topping the charts. However, August Alsina is not your typical RnB singer that just sings to girls about sex. You can really hear the pain behind his voice and the lyrics in his music really has you thinking.  So early in his career, he is already creating a new standards in the music industry when became the first singer to appear on the XXL Freshman 10 cover which predominantly features rap artists. His debut album “Testimony” was released on the 15th of April 2014 and this day is really personal to August as it is the day his older brother's birthday who sadly got shot and killed a couple years ago, which he openly talks about in many interviews and is the reason he pursued with music as a career.

If there were just one word to describe this album it would be HONEST. I know a lot of artists claim that they make music for the people but August Alsina really does share so much about his story and background that it makes it easy for others to relate. The intro for the album is a track called  "Testimony". This is the perfect opening track for the album as it sets the raw storytelling tone for the rest of the album about the joys and hurdles in his life. In the song he makes the declaration that he will- “ tell da truth and da whole truth, Cause there ain't no need to lie”. The transparency in his music reminds me a little of Usher’s Confession album which were missing in the music world. With a heavy heart over a piano driven melody August gives listeners a vivid image of his childhood and the struggles he faced growing up in the hood along with parental abandonment, being broke, and drug involvement.‘ I remember why I broke the rules cause I aint never had nobody to look up to. I remember cutting class being bad cause I aint have what the other kids had. I remember wishing I knew my dad”. "Make It Home" is the second track off the album and is definitely one of the strongest. August has lost a lot of people in his life and the lyrics in this song are extremely powerful and moving. “But if I don't make it home tonight, Tell my mama that I love her, Leave some flowers for my brother… Cus where I'm from, Niggas outchea dyin every day, And they ain't no bad, they just tryna make a way, And I ain't no different, So if I get missin,These are my last wishes I hope you get them right, Girl if I don't make it home tonight.”

Although the album discusses a lot of serious issues, August also shows his light hearted/comedic side in track number 5 "No Love". In the lyrics he shares that he doesn’t want to be in any serious relationship and just wants to have fun. “We can rubble in these sheets but after this you gotta go”. Lol! You got to love his honesty. The tracks that will have the girls falling in love with him are "Porn Star", "You Deserve", "Ah Yeah" and "Kissin on my Tattoos" where he really shows of his vocal ability. Out of all the songs "FML" and "Numb" were the ones that I didn’t gravitate to straight away but they have grown on me and let us know how August can feel sometimes. The dance tracks off the album and two of my favourites are "Grind and Pray/Get Ya Money" and "Ghetto". You will have these two on repeat! You can definitely tell he has put his heart and soul into making this album and "Mama" is a special ballad of the album where he sings about what his Mama taught him about life and how he is making her proud. The album ends with "Benediction", which has a Gospel anthem feel and brings the album to full circle as he brings us back to the album concept of testimonials and faith. It is quite rare these days to find an album where you can just play and let it run without skipping.  Listening to this album, you really do take a walk through his life and to me this is what music is all about- inspiring others. All of the tracks could be released as singles and each track opens up a new conversation. The album also features several well-known rappers with the likes of Yo Gotti, Jeezy, Pusha T, Fabulous, BOB and Rick Ross.

After listening to his album, I also had to listen to his EP  "Downtown: Life Under The Gun". It really takes a lot to get me emotional but when I heard "Nobody Knows" and "Don’t Forget About Me" I was close to tears. Also check out his first number one single "I Luv This Shit", which is a club banger and the remix features Trey Songz and Chris Brown. From his first mix tape "The Product" have a listen to "Drank In My Cup", "Party and Bullshit", "Illest Bitch", "She Werkin" and "Let Me Hit That".

It is sad to see that August has recently been caught up some negative media stories with his appearance on 106 and park and quarrel with Trey Songz, as he is so talented that the focus really should be on his music. I have seen some comments on social media that people think he’s rude and arrogant but I think he is just misunderstood. His honesty is what separates him from other artists and for a young man who has been through a lot in his life he carries himself well. He really stays true to who is and I pray that the industry doesn’t change him. His music not contrived for marketing or sales and when you hear his music you’re intensely drawn in by the grit and soul. The album has something for everybody. It is not just for the ladies but guys too. I think it is obvious by the length of this review that I am a little obsessed but I am excited to watch his career set off and he truly deserves all the success coming his way.