: ' .. .:.... . ' ' ______________ : ________ : ' \ / .. .:. .. \ / : : \ /_________ \ / . .. ... .. . : .\ / /___ /\ \ / ______________ ___ _. : \ / / \ / \ \/ / \ \ \ \ \ . ...:..\ / _______/ \/ \ ___/__ / / / / / : /\ / / \ \/ \ / / / . sH! ' / \/ / / / \ / / . ... .:.... .. . :/ _______/ / / / _______/__ ___ __ .\ / / / / / / / / / / / \ / / / / / / / / / / / . . \ /\______/ / / / / \___ / / : \/ ____ \ / / / / / : \ / \ /\____/\ / / : : ________\/ \ / \ / / : ' \ / \/ \ /\ / : . ..:.. . \ / \/ \ / \ / \ / . ' : \/ F A N G \ / : ' ____ \ / . . .. .. .:.. . \ / presents \ / . . \/ \/ : : . ..:.. , : Artist......: Lowkey : Album.......: Soundtrack To The Struggle 3 : : Label.......: Mesopotamia Music .. .:.. . Genre.......: Hip-Hop : Catnr.......: . ' Source......: CD , ; Rip.date....: 2025-09-27 Str.date....: 2024-10-28 Quality.....: 249kbps/44.1kHz/Joint Stereo . :.. .:. Url.........: https://lifeline4gaza.com ' ' , ________ ________ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / # title time \ / \/ \/ 1. Soundtrack to the Struggle 3 (ft. Mai Khalil) 4:00 2. Friend or Foe (ft. Mai Khalil) 4:19 3. Neighbours (Skit) 1:26 4. Vietnam (ft. Mai Khalil) 4:05 5. Fertile (Skit) 0:41 6. No War (ft. Styles P) 3:37 7. Baby Steps 3:54 8. Genocide Joe (ft. Mai Khalil) 4:02 9. Karim Mussilhy (Skit) 1:48 10. The Killing of Corbynism (ft. Mai Khalil) 3:00 11. Palestine Will Never Die (ft. Mai Khalil) 5:33 12. Intifada 2:29 13. Two Kites (ft. Mai Khalil) 4:45 ______ \ / ________ Runtime 43:39 ,\ /... . . .... .... \ / ' Size 83.36 ______ :\/ ', \ / , \ / ' '... ..\ /.. .. .....:. .. .... .. . ..\ /. : Release Notes: \/ , \/ , ' ' ,: "This is for political prisoners, feeling trapped and sad, not :, : for the rapper pulling up in a flashy Jag. It's for the person : :' in the same street, wrapped in rags, It is for the dad, ': ,: carrying his son in plastic bags, for the resistance, wrapping :, : cash in their elastic bands." : :' ': ,: So begins "Soundtrack to the Struggle 3," the new album from :, : Lowkey. It is the hip-hop legend's first offering in five years : :' and is already blowing away the critics - and making his ': ,: enemies very nervous. :, : : :' One of the voices of the Palestine liberation movement, Lowkey ': ,: is widely considered one of the most talented and respected :, : rappers in the world, widely acclaimed for his flow and : :' lyricism. But his popularity and influence have also made him ': ,: powerful foes along the way. The staunchly pro-Israel Jewish :, : Chronicle newspaper once lamented that his very existence is a : :' "nightmare" for the State of Israel. ': ,: :, : The pro-Israel lobby has been relentless in their attempts to : :' shut him down, pressuring universities into canceling his ': ,: speaking appointments. The powers that be have also taken a dim :, : view of him; BBC executives even blocked his appearance on a top : :' radio station. In the wake of the October 7 assault, YouTube ': ,: Music deleted his song "Terrorist?" after almost 14 years and :, : 5.5 million views. And last year, a shadowy, Israel-linked : :' pressure group tried to pressure music streaming giant Spotify ': ,: to remove his content from its platform. That attempt elicited a :, : massive worldwide backlash, with artists and entertainers coming : :' to the rapper's defense. ': ,: :, : "Pro-Israel groups had me no-platformed at different shows; I've : :' been canceled in at least four countries so far, thanks to ': ,: their maneuvers," Lowkey said. "They have recorded meetings I :, : have been at, taken pictures of me in public, and I am sure : :' there is a lot more we do not know about... I'm sure this album ': ,: will make them very angry and unhappy... They certainly won't :, : want people to listen to this album." : :' ': ,: Lowkey began his music career in the mid-2000s as a member of :, : the group Poisonous Poets. Although he is now a solo artist, he : :' has collaborated with many of the most well-known names in the ': ,: music industry, including Arctic Monkeys, Wretch 32, Immortal :, : Technique and Akala. He is a patron of Stop The War Coalition, : :' the Racial Justice Network, and The Peace and Justice Project. ': ,: :, : "Soundtrack to the Struggle 3" is a deeply political album, : :' weaving together activism and music to provide a snapshot in ': ,: time. In the first single, "Genocide Joe," the rapper takes aim :, : at President Biden, asking him: Genocide Joe, you terrorize : :' souls, When your eyes close at night, how do you sleep? ': ,: :, : The track describes Biden as "America's woke president speaking : :' like he's on sedatives." It references the killing of ': ,: Palestinian child, Hind Rajab, and the self-immolation of former :, : American serviceman Aaron Bushnell in a protest against the : :' U.S.-Israeli attack on Gaza, which Lowkey says is "not a ': ,: strip," but "the world's biggest crime scene." :, : : :' Palestine is and always has been a key issue for Lowkey. ': ,: "Soundtrack to the Struggle 3" features the track "Palestine :, : Will Be Free," whose chorus includes the lines, "From the river : :' to the sea, Palestine will be free" û a phrase that has been ': ,: banned and censured across much of the West. "My fingers pointed :, : at this government; you all killed them. Tell me you wouldn't : :' take up arms if it were your children," Lowkey says. ': ,: :, : Major media labels, themselves part of gigantic, multinational : :' corporations, have never liked Lowkey precisely because of what ': ,: they perceive as his radicalism. As he told MintPress: :, : : :' "I was never really embraced by any major label, despite ': ,: selling hundreds of thousands of records, getting millions of :, : views online, and selling thousands of tickets. I was never : :' approached by a major label. And actually, major labels are ': ,: signing artists that have done far less, and have demonstrated :, : far less marketability. And I am of the view that it is simply : :' down to the subject matter." ': ,: :, : Nevertheless, his music is as popular as ever and has even found : :' a new life as an anthem of the global Palestine liberation ': ,: movement. Today, there is barely a march, meeting, or :, : demonstration not accompanied by his work. Lowkey acknowledged : :' this, saying, "Many of those songs become more relevant than ': ,: ever before. æLong Live Palestine' has been heard more in the :, : past year than any other time." : :' ': ,: Purposefully stepping on these political red lines has made :, : Lowkey a deeply unpopular figure among record executives and the : :' establishment class more generally. However, he insists he is ': ,: far better off as an independent artist than he would be signed :, : to a major label. With the rise of the internet and social : :' media, he told MintPress, it is easier than ever to be an ': ,: independent artist. :, : : :' "You have the ability to be self-sufficient now, with music, ': ,: you can independently make a living off it. But also, I wouldn't :, : want any interference in my subject matter or in my creativity. : :' And when you are on a major label, they decide when your album ': ,: will drop, so you can actually be left in a hinterland for :, : several years. I know of amazing artists who have not been able : :' to release their albums because the major label hasn't been ': ,: willing to push the button on it for years." :, : : :' Furthermore, he explained, major labels find any excuse to ': ,: siphon more money away from musicians. From administration fees :, : to entourages and video-making expenses, most of the money comes : :' from the artist's share of the pot. And labels insert sneaky ': ,: clauses into contracts to ensure they û not the artist û reap :, : the benefits. : :' ': ,: "There are people I know who have sold millions of records and :, : been ripped off by the major labels. They do it all the time. : :' They rip off people on a daily basis," he said. ': ,: :, : I know so many people who have sold huge amounts of records and : :' have never received a royalty check. These records are top five ': ,: in the charts, but they have never seen a penny." :, : : :' Today, Lowkey works in independent media. "The album definitely ': ,: could not have happened without MintPress," he said. :, : : :' Another key topic "Soundtrack to the Struggle 3" addresses is ': ,: British politics and the pursuit of a better world. In "The :, : Killing of Corbynism," Lowkey describes how the various factions : :' of the British state came together to crush the grassroots ': ,: political movement around socialist leader Jeremy Corbyn. As he :, : states, : :' ': ,: "Corbynism was more than a living organism :, : Centered on one man; a vehicle of a broader mission. : :' The main focus was how they could reform the system, ': ,: Millions of people up and down the country saw the vision, :, : As a chance for you to improve your conditions, : :' What we learned was the establishment is more malignant: ': ,: Constant attacks to drag supporters from their core positions. :, : A story of betrayal, backstabbing and sore decisions : :' Millions with dreams, the establishment killed them." ': ,: :, : Other tracks are less overtly political, however. "Two Kites" : :' tells the story of a tragic romance destroyed by the death of a ': ,: woman. :, : : :' "Friend or Foe," meanwhile, is ostensibly about a comrade who ': ,: double-crosses Lowkey. As the song develops, however, it becomes :, : clear that his "friend" is actually a cellphone, and the whole : :' track is a commentary about the pernicious, double-edged nature ': ,: of having such a powerful surveillance device in our pockets at :, : all times. : :' ': ,: Lowkey describes his friend as being "born in Congo, raised in :, : China, but he says he's American," a reference to the globalized : :' nature of electronics production. "We both loved fruits, but ': ,: apples were his thing," he notes, adding, "At the beginning, he :, : taught me how to deal with snakes. Later he helped with my : :' career and how to build a base." However, as time goes by, he ': ,: realizes how pernicious the technology is: :, : : :' "He listens when I sleep, watches when I'm not watching him, ': ,: Knows how to eat up my time, I didn't clock a thing, :, : Turns out befriending him was the worst thing I've ever done, : :' It seems he's selling everything about me to everyone." ': ,: :, : Much of the best art has an important message behind it. Yet : :' most of what big media outlets, be it music, TV or film, have ': ,: been thoroughly sanitized, Lowkey told MintPress, stating: :, : : :' "There has been a steady push to depoliticize art because it ': ,: was seen as such a subversive medium. With music, you can reach :, : people, you can popularize slogans, you can create mantras in : :' people's heads, you can distill the hopes and dreams of people ': ,: in a digestible form with a memorable melody. So, it was, of :, : course, seen as a threat." : :' ': ,: As such, big labels push bland, vapid music on us or even :, : artists who extol extravagant and decadent lifestyles. : :' Throughout the War on Terror, Lowkey says, there was virtually ': ,: no English-language music engaging with the U.S.' actions. This :, : is in stark contrast to the protest music of the 1960s, which : :' excoriated America's role in Vietnam, for example. Lowkey ': ,: dedicates one track to the fighters of Vietnam who resisted the :, : American occupation. "I don't know about you, but all my heroes : :' fought colonizers," goes the chorus. ': ,: :, : What passes for political music today is uninspiring at best and : :' cringe-inducing at its worst. From talentless pro-Trump country ': ,: musicians to the stars of Hamilton rapping about voting Blue, no :, : matter who, it can often feel like political music is inherently : :' inferior. ': ,: :, : "Soundtrack to the Struggle 3" is the perfect antidote to this. : :' But even if the politics weren't as sharp and timely as it is, ': ,: the lyricism displayed would still qualify this album as a :, : masterpiece. Lowkey has little time for Team Red or Team Blue. : :' As he says in "Genocide Joe," "Biden is a murderer, Trump is a ': ,: murderer. Whichever way you look, the political system's :, : circular." : :' ': ,: With this album, Lowkey certainly won't be making any friends in :, : high places. But he doesn't need them; he's already got millions : :' of fans around the world, and "Soundtrack to the Struggle 3" ': ,: will only further cement his place as a legend of hip hop. (Alan :, : MacLeod/MintPressNews) : :' ': : @Lowkey0nline (x) ' '.. ..' .. . :........... . . . . ............: . . ______________ ______________ \ / \ / \ / GREETS: \ / \ / \ / \ / iPC BOSS HiT2000 1way UKi i8 RNS \ / \ / MANDY DV8 pLAN9 BUTT \ / \ / \ / \/ ____ ____ \/ \ / F A N G \ / \/ \/