"I Love (Mimi, Moms, Kev)": Ka
Produced: DJ Preservation
Album: Descendants of Cain
For an album that explores inherited trauma, Ka ends Descendants of Cain with a touching ode to the people in his life he holds the dearest; his partner, his mother and his late friend. These are the descendants, people who have battled to survive their hardships to form unbreakable bonds of love and support. Each person has a verse dedicated to them where Ka takes the time to pen carefully tailored sonnets that interact perfectly with the gentle sample. But the theme of inheritance has not disappeared. In the opening verse, Ka recounts how he was in a cycle of negative reinforcement, suffering from inherited inequalities in education and self-esteem that ended with the support he got from his partner. ‘But you know I had felon in my genes’- In the second verse, he describes his lineage of incarceration (whether literal or social commentary) which was alleviated by the acceptance and pride of his mother’s approval and affection. Finally, Ka tells the story of how his friend overcame the limits of their environment to see themselves beyond their inherited landscape.
Few projects give its listeners the emotional and narrative closure that ‘I Love’ does but it is due to the skill of Ka’s writing that makes this song hit home so well.