Behold Music & Mental Health, a feature we hope to bring you more often than not, written by the fabulous Imade Borha. She’ll check in from time to time with her thoughts on … well … presumably, music and mental health. Duh. If you dig, you can follow her on Twitter here. Enjoy!
Frank Ocean is the reason why I have abandonment issues. According to the NY Times, he was supposed to pick up the kids – or, well, I mean drop an album – last Friday. Ocean didn’t even offer a tired excuse that he’ll pick up the kids, erm, release an album this weekend. Rumors are now swirling that the new date may be November 13. Frank Ocean, yet again, reminds me that my deadbeat dad’s child support scam can deceive us all.
The challenge of abandonment issues is that you can relive unresolved childhood pain with the slightest trigger. You can see the face of your abuser in every person you see, even when some of those individuals can be the most supportive people in your life.
So, in light of Frank Ocean’s deadbeat dad parody, it’s important to remember that there are good artists out there who don’t act like your ex, or your dad who gave you a briefcase on your birthday even though he owes thousands of dollars in backed child support.
I have faith that Ocean will eventually release a thoughtful, gender-norm-defying album from his own voice at his own time. But until then, there’s a great R&B artist based just an hour’s drive away (OK, two hours in traffic) that is worthy of your support.
Muhsinah
You want an artist with a consistent release schedule? You got it. Muhsinah has a once a month EP series simply named after the month the project embodies. Recently, I saw her perform at Songbyrd Cafe and the crowd was criminally small. This is the D.C. native who performed with Common, De La Soul, Flying Lotus and Foreign Exchange. Muhsinah is a classically trained pianist and a musical mad scientist who experiments with eccentric sounds as a singer, songwriter, musician and producer. She is a musical treasure. See for yourself.
