The 'Power' of Josh Stokes
Expressions of ecstatic energy with Josh Stokes; press photo courtesy of the artist.
While the world spins in an unpredictable and anxiety inducing tilt-a-whirl; Josh Stokes amplifies ecstatic visions and continues to lift up the culture and universal consciousness even higher with Power. One of Baltimore’s most prolific artists of the past decade, Stokes ignites movements towards uplifting personal agency. Having established progressive funk rhythms with a gospel fervor, Power propels itself to realms of futuristic hip hop manifested by an inspired maestro dedicated to edifying the epistemology of all things and everyone inspirational.
Josh Stokes orchestrates a swirling sound college that chants the eponymous name of the album on "Power Intro", as the storm breaks in brash industrial percussion tones on "Somebody Said". The anguish fines the cool waters of rejuvenation and ethereal ambience on "Yes Y'all" that ebbs and flows with hypnotic rhythms. The mighty jubilation that is "DYOT" [Do Your Own Thing] stands tall as a big testimonial tent brass inflected show stopper, introduced with the prelude tracks "Already Crazy" and "Greatness" that help get the party started.
Empowerment weighs in strong on "Use Your Power", to sampling Paul Mooney on " School", to the big stepping Funkadelic momentum on "Keep it Real", complete with the outro of "Ociffer". Stokes' revolution of rhythm rides on with "Ain't Neva" before arriving at "Night of tha Funkasauras Ppl" that croons into a groove that harmonizes and bounces with Jurassic era swagger. The wide span of "Who's Watchin'" expands a net of societal paranoia that addresses the pressures and stern gazes of communities both benign and suspect that often offload an undue burden of unrealistic expectation in hand with mass surveillance.
The message of togetherness vibrates on "With Me" with some 90s throwback panache, winding it down with the generous gratitude of "For Loving Me", before bringing the house down on the closing thunder of "Walk in Your Power". Power is the latest chapter in an artist’s oeuvre that is dedicated to uplifting the voices and visions of his Baltimore community and the whole wide world with a consciousness that is thinking forward, onward, upward, completely grounded, with a sensibility that leans towards an ascension into the heights of the skies.
Leaps and bounds and Josh Stokes; press photo courtesy of the artist.
The powerful pop influences of Josh Stokes
I would like to elevate the voices of Bobbi Rush, Sly Stone, and Paul Mooney!
Bobbi Rush
She is an amazing multi dimensional artist that continues to captivate me in all of her works!
The inspirations of Josh Stokes; press photo courtesy of the artist.
Sly Stone
His musical imprint is on me now greater than ever, and I appreciate his life!
Through the blur of street wise strolls with Josh Stokes; press photo courtesy of the artist.
Paul Mooney
Mooney, Richard Pryor, and George Carlin showed me truth, and intelligence through comedy! They taught me more about the world than any scholar! And Honorable mention to Malcolm X and Martin Luther King!
Josh Stokes’s Power is available now.
Observations of radical light by Josh Stokes; press photo courtesy of the artist.