D’rok the Menace [Conscious Rap]
Introducing D’rok the Menace, a.k.a. Guru—the godfather of New Wave conscious rap! Although there are some more well-known conscious rappers who came before (e.g., Nas, Tupac), D’rok is the epitome of The New Wave within this vast musical sphere. His lyrics embody truth, spirituality, and personal growth; seen throughout his inaugural album, T.H.P.A. (the Healing Pr Ankh), and the rest of his discography.
D’rok lives a healthy life, which is detailed throughout his lyrics. From eating vegan, to frequent meditation (“Trynna be like me? Gotta meditate to do it” [Enchiridion]), to cranking out 50 push-ups on IG, it’s clear that he cares about, and works on, his health—physically, mentally and spiritually. Every lyric adds to his story that he shares with the world through his music and social media. The tracks are filled with information vital to The New Wave lifestyle, serving the purpose of elevating the listener’s understanding of the world and of themselves.
Rok never leaves you hanging. He demonstrates a wealth of wisdom and thorough grasp of new age topics such as chakras, deities, and energy. He has a lot to teach us from his own spiritual practices and life experiences, and he circles back to every point he makes, shining new light and providing a complete understanding. Other artists, even within the realm of New Wave conscious rap, unpack some advanced, new age concepts, but never come back and properly explain them; whereas D’rok does, and it leaves you feeling whole—like you actually learned something … because you do learn from D’rok.
More than a lifestyle, The New Wave is also a religion—of transcending organized religion and developing your own spiritual bond with God, the Divine Energy, or whatever phrase you use to define It. D’rok emulates this exquisitely in the lines from Truth Is, “are you religious? N*gga I’m not,” followed shortly thereafter with “that’s against my religion.” This exemplifies the creation of a religion where you devise your own rules to live by. This song is part of a series of raw and honest tracks on Self: A Realization, which explore some darker aspects of life … notably substance abuse.
This brings us into another thing D’rok does exceptionally well, which is to embrace (and discuss) a range of emotions—both good and bad. Although The New Wave has an emphasis on spreading light and positivity, reality involves both dark and light. D’rok addresses things as they are, including stories of his struggles and his own weaknesses. Many other musicians filter their music to portray fraudulent versions of themselves, sharing only the best of their feelings; not D’rok.
He does this elegant, inspirational, and masterful work, all while keeping the music lit—high energy and extremely bump-able. I love the recurring themes and sayings he’s created throughout his work; for example, cocktails are always Molotov, breasts are “pom-poms,” and “e-you” is something to scream for no particular reason. These little recurring phrases create an organic bond between artist and listener, making the music more comforting as someone becomes familiar with the discography. This bond is so strong that a line as simple and silly as “Guru, guru, guru, I’m the f*cking King” (Animal) is relatable and inspirational to an avid Guru fan such as myself.
D’rok’s production should also be highlighted. Throughout T.H.P.A., each song is annotated with its frequency (in Hz), which shows he pays attention to the tones his music gives off. He uses frequency to tap into healing tones, medicating listeners both vibrationally and lyrically. Now that’s what The New Wave is all about!
Thank you for reading and stay tuned for more! ... Peace and Love.
