Awe, appreciation and anticipation. I am in awe of the sounds that reverberated from the speakers at Troyer House. I am appreciative for the opportunity to be one of the first to hear the album. I am anticipating what The Young God K.O. (TYGKO) has to offer next. “Aliminal” by TYGKO also known as Kevante Weakley ’18 is an album that portrays a fantasy story about a black woman named Wendo who wants to save the planet of Livilians.
“It’s telling a narrative of these people who are going to be invaded by aliens, and that means that they all are going to die,” said Weakley, the genius behind the work, about the plot of “Aliminal”. He also noted that it’s important to understand how Wendo is told she can stop the invasion, which is the purpose for the “Encounter” tracks within the album. “Overall, it’s really about Wendo discovering what she wants to do, and what she wants to do is create some medium that will push past anarchy. But she also wants to find a way to reach all Livilians, even the bad ones. So that’s her personal mission,” he said.
Weakley effortlessly described his musical project which he created for his senior independent study. Weakley’s favorite track on the album is “Out of Pocket,” which tells of one of Wendo’s interactions with her mother. As Weakley explained during an interview, Wendo and her mother have always had a strained relationship. In “Out of Pocket,” Wendo is asked to mow the lawn for her mother. After Wendo mows the lawn, her mother doesn’t say much and Wendo is hurt by her mother not appreciating her effort. Weakley’s goal in writing this song was to add to the theme of resistance and Wendo’s attempt at breaking free from her confinements.
Weakley’s creative intentions for the album were to depict a black woman as an epic hero whilst blending narrative literature and hip hop similar to an influence of his, Toni Morrison’s novel “Jazz.” Many people struggle with finding their purpose and defying some type of resistance in their life, which makes the album relatable. Lyrics like “Put me in a box why don’t ya / Make me wanna stop why don’t ya,” from the track titled “Enough,” emphasize the struggle many youths have discovering themselves while growing up. Growing up with that type of negative “noise” surrounding you can almost make you feel like giving up on who you want to be as a person.
Words from the track “What If?” can also speak to the listener. “Gather up all of the gifts / that you gave me in the past! / Lay em all down as the bricks / Now that I walk on my path.” As Weakley explained during an interview, the most precious things are ideas that come from experiences. “Every decision and every idea comes from all of the conditioning of everything that has happened to an individual,” he said.
Overall, “Aliminal” is worth taking a listen to if you are looking for an engaging, eclectic, eccentric vibe supporting black women over the spectrum, even from another galaxy. Be ready to visit theyounggodko on SoundCloud on April 27 to listen to “Aliminal.”