8/10

On their new joint album 'a film called black', Chicago-based polymath Cam Be and rap craftsman Neak deliver a masterful tapestry that's part documentary, part celebration, and part catharsis. Across sixteen tracks, they craft a deeply layered meditation on what it means to exist, create, and thrive as Black Americans. Rather than settling for easy slogans or quick hits, this album is a slow-burning study of heritage, pain, joy, and triumph.

The journey begins with 'Life in Black', an inviting overture featuring spoken reflections that set the stage for the odyssey ahead. By the time we reach the Gospel-soaked uplift of 'Wade In The Water', it’s clear what their mission statement is. The track shimmers with ancestral echoes, feeling like a Sunday service and a protest march all at once.

The emotional centrepiece 'King’s Speech' (featuring Elisa Latrice and Add-2) unpacks both the wounds and regality of Black life, framed in warm horns and a steady, thoughtful beat. It’s an introspective hymn about legacy, struggle, and what it means to hold one’s head high in a world eager to keep it bowed.

While 'Buttafly' soars thanks to the contributions of J. Ivy and Johnny Burgos. Here, the record turns into a cosmic jam session, full of soaring hooks and affirming verses that feel like a family reunion dance floor at midnight. Meanwhile, 'Take7' and 'God Complex' dig deeper into systemic obstacles and psychological self-examination, grappling with generational trauma and inherited expectations.

Toward the close, 'Better' (with Yaw and Rashid Hadee) becomes a reflective soul search, balancing self-critique with a yearning for growth. And finally, 'Motherland' stands tall as a spiritual crescendo. A sprawling ensemble piece featuring voices like Nashon Holloway, THISISSHEBA, and Simone Yael, it radiates ancestral pride and reconnection.

Cam Be and Neak refuse to simplify or sanitise. Instead, they invite us into a gallery of portraits; every verse, every hook, every instrumental flourish serving as a brushstroke. The result is an ambitious, necessary, and utterly human body of work. By the final track, we are left with a deepened understanding and a renewed sense of reverence.