Before getting onto the merits of this track by Londoner Alex Dutty let’s talk about the subject matter.
There’s no doubt that Alex Dutty’s track Proud To Be White feeds into the whole rather heated social situations we have brewing right now in terms of colour and (while not explicitly stated in the track) of course religious affiliations.
It’s the title that is mis-leading and no doubt will have people clicking furiously to find out who this racist bigot of a rapper is. Once you hear the lyrics however (and if you were thinking negatively) you are forced to face up to your own possibly racist and bigoted attitudes to people who are white-hence the track and the video where things are not always as they seem.
The facts are Alex is not talking about a new subject because through a multitude of different songs through the ages, the idea that we all need to live in harmony has been detailed, it’s just that in this period of time, Alex takes it from a different perspective. Alex asks the question; ‘if you are proud to be dark’ then why can’t he be ‘proud to be white’ and indeed that is completely right?
Of course there is more to this subject and the three or so minutes in this track are not sufficient to look at issues pertinent to the whole affair but Alex is of course merely scratching the surface, it is for us to look deeper should we wish. Ultimately, the idea that we should ALL live in harmony and respect one another should be something all colours, creeds and denominations should be living for. Let’s hope as the newer generation we can push that ideal forward.
Anyway that done facts are subject matter aside this is actually a storming track from Alex Dutty with his laid back gruff swagger that is totally on point. The bars in this cut are not about tightly constructed clever word play it’s all about that delivery.
He has been in the game for a minute and while some of his contemporaries like the names he mentions (English Frank and Benny Banks) seemed to have fared better in terms of exposure Alex is right up there with those names in terms of talent.
Will he rise to prominence off the back of this track- and indeed will he rise to prominence through his forth-coming album Knock Down Ginger-only time will tell if he should be proud to be an emcee period!?