She couldn’t have given us better advice. In her latest album, American transgender rapper and activist Mykki Blanco urges us to keep music close to us, to make it our ally. The dozen pieces that make up the eloquent Stay Close to Music undulating of a corrosive hip-hop, with the opening track Pink Diamond Bezel, to something more pop but also striking. As shown by Your Love Was A Gift and Family Ties, plays to which Diana Gordon and Sam Buck, as well as Michael Stipe, respectively contributed. Mykki Blanco is enriched by his multiple collaborations. French Lessonswith Kelsey Lu and Anohni, and Ketamine, along with Slug Christ, are doing their part to truly lift the record into spellbinding skies. As for titles Your Feminism Is Not My Feminismwith Ah-Mer-Ah-Su, You Will Find Itwith Devendra Banhart, and carry-onwith Jónsi, they hover over Stay Close to Music like hymns to self-affirmation and inclusion magnified by the personal touches of the musicians.
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