Artist: Scribbling Idiots-Cas Metah & JustMe
Album: Mad Word (single)
Label: Soulspasm
Released: 1/1/2023
Country: United States
Moving in on a smoothed out grove-beat combo set up by Simple Cuts, Scribbling Idiots aka JustMe and Cas Metah brought in the New Year with their positively charged single Mad World. Originally the name for a track made arguably famous by Gary Jules and created by Tears for Fears, the latter of which being referenced heavily in the wordplay, this track is anything but a simple homage to an originally pessimistic and bleak song. Instead, JustMe and Cas Metah have opted to tinge the track with just enough shade of that former pessimism in the form of varying struggles to better cast light on the hope.
“Welcome to the new ‘93”
Opening the track is Cas Metah spitting the hook, first alluding to Souls of Mischief equally laid back anthem ‘93 Til Infinity, then proclaiming how its a “mad word” before,
“We just hope(ing) this hip-hop cause some gentle relief”. It feels like a gentle reassurance of a close friend giving you a slap on the back at a party, telling you to put aside your current woes and troubles and focus on the good that’s happening. Coming in to make that point is JustMe taking the first verse with just a hint of the Souls of Mischief lyricism and tonal affectation with an up-tick towards the end after an elongated come on in, “Give me an A plus/ For my featured lines on these beats and rhymes”. JustMe goes to artfully engage in a sort of playful wordplay that decries the treatment of the LGBT community while calling for an uplifting of our friends while downplaying the clowns in two deceptively simple-seeming lines.
“Gears for years and Tears for Fears
Laughs for gaffs but cheers for peers
Get outta here with them jeers for queers
What we don’t tolerate is hate and that’s clear”
The talented Emcee in JustMe goes on to proclaim his personal philosophy of the rap game in how he keeps things open to share and expand the community, while calling into question those that do not share a similar view while questioning their motives. These social messages are artfully crafted and delivered into a package that doesn’t feel like a soapbox speech or overly tedious in their unpacking, but more like an older brother imparting wisdom and congenialy imploring to simply do and be better.
The second half of the track is run by Cas Metah who comes on strong with his easily recognized, nigh signature, style vocal sound. Opening his portion with his own imploring by way of telling listeners to become more engaged with the track like, “…old souls who grew with the movement”. An interesting note is how Cas does not make a specific distinction to just the old school, just the old souls who were and are down. This, for me anyways, creates an inviting atmosphere that builds upon what was already cultivated in the prior verse and track created by JustMe and Simple Cuts respectively. Cas Metah then goes into further this bond by reminiscing of his early days within the scene himself. He keeps the lyrics mostly upbeat and focused on his relationship with music with a small detour into the contemporarily personal with the loss of friends and financial struggles, but easily tempers it again as he circles back to his music and how, “writing’s therapy like air I breathe in my chest”. What Cas accomplishes within this verse then in an extraordinarily subtle way, is to demonstrably prove the message given by action and example. Simply put, he is giving space and credence to life’s hardships, both in the past and present, while showing how they stack up comparatively-an allusion to what could be expected down the line under another such thoughtful examination, and through it all he has found and maintained a measure of his own peace, a tranquility that he tirelessly works to provide for the community at large.
Be righteous by listening to and supporting JustMe & Cas Metah on Bandcamp: https://killacasmetah.bandcamp.com/album/mad-world
