“Redemption” by Big Lou

Out of the shadows of a life no one would ever choose to live, some of the greatest stories in hip-hop have come to fruition and given birth to incredible music that has impacted all of our lives as fans and critics in numerous ways, and in “Redemption,” Big Lou attempts to introduce himself to an audience hungry for a new rap hero. “Redemption” discusses the pitfalls that one comes across when trying to make it big in the hip-hop game, and moreover, the music business itself, and it doesn’t use lyrics as its only avenue of communication. 

In the music video for this single, the words are transformed into rather ghostly images that touch on the enslavement of artists by large, conglomerate entertainment groups that have little to no interest in the preservation of any cultural, personal or artistic purity beyond what will bring in the biggest bucks the quickest.

Though the visuals are at times a little jarring, the rhythm of the music is actually the most effective agent of evocation in this piece. We’re constantly waiting for the hammer to come crashing down on us, but in the most anti-cathartic way possible, Big Lou never lets us find our release – we simply continue to labor under the tension of the music until the song disappears into the night. 

It’s a symbolic and unforgiving look at what makes the world go ‘round in L.A., New York, Atlanta and Seattle nowadays, but it would be inaccurate for me to call any part of the message behind Big Lou’s “Redemption” even slightly false in nature. Big Lou puts it all on the line in an attempt to bring his moniker into the company of legends in this all-new release, and even though I think he has some work to do before he can seriously enter such circles, he puts forth one heck of a start to his career here. 

Mindy McCall