“Survive” (Black Lion song) – Queen City Sounds and Art

BlackLion1_lg — Black Lion, photo courtesy the artists

“Survive,” the new single by Canadian hip-hop duo Black Lion, features contributions from Testament and Ray Robinson. Ostensibly a hip-hop song with the beat structure and sampling you’d expect from someone selecting some tastefully atmospheric sounds to convey a sense of striving and hope against everyday challenges. But the mood and lush tone is more reminiscent of downtempo and trip hop. Maybe it’s the small details Rich Lindo and JR “Heny” Lindo place into the mix like Massive Attack did all over Blue Lines. Little tones and textures to give the beat an internal diversity that is the foundation for the vocal rhythm while also giving the listener that extra hook to draw you in to what the song has to say about maintaining positive mental attitude when too many things in your life including your own mind want to erode your effectiveness as a human to attain even the most modest of dreams. Listen to “Survive” on Spotify and follow Black Lion at the links provided.