Timeless – or out of time? Stay true to yourself – or didn’t hear the shot? Not everything is a question of perspective, but it is certainly a question of how one should assess Moses Pelham’s new album. The now 53-year-old has announced that LAST WORDS is not just called that, but should actually serve as the conclusion of his “work” (original sound Pelham). It’s probably logical that he goes back to his beginnings with the Rödelheim Hartreim project, which was, as is well known, a blueprint for German gangsta rap. You could now say: That rounds things off.
But also: Pelham doesn’t sound really up to date when he praises himself in the style of the genre and celebrates him as the “Frankfurt father of multiple rhymes”, but rather as expected, even like a rap official who uses the longer period of service as an argument against the brings younger competition into the field: “I have legal disputes that are older than you.” As is well known, Pelham has previously taken the battle, which is lustily fought out in rap, physically literally, now only metaphorically, but then he just wages a war in an unimaginative way (“fighting music”). It was also known back then that the rapper not only has big balls, but is also extremely sensitive, and so that everyone notices that, a soulful female voice sings over dark gothic beats.
LETZTE WORTE almost demonstratively rejects everything that has happened in hip-hop since around 1995; you shouldn’t even look for current influences like trap or hyperpop. Because Moses Pelham remains true to himself. Maybe he’s just stubborn. It’s all a question of perspective.
You can find out which albums will be released in January 2025 via our monthly release list.