Elliot D. Tousley
Being a foodie as well as a big-time rap fan, discovering a rap number that centers on food is a big skrrt moment for me. As you’ve probably already noticed, there aren’t too many such songs… not sure why more rappers aren’t rapping about food. Seriously… who doesn’t eat?!
Anyway, that’s why I felt so buzzed when Spotify suddenly served up ‘Goat Cheese’, by artist Calispeedway. It’s a banger, for real, cleverly using culinary metaphors to craft a narrative about money, deceit and payback, set against the backdrop of a highly effective, ominous sounding, minimal score. (Not surprisingly, though I didn’t know this when I bumped the track, ‘Goat Cheese’ was featured on the fourth season of the Netflix hit series Black Lightning.)
So what else did this artist have to offer? Deciding to find out, I was pleasantly surprised at the diversity and creativity of her tracks. There was ‘Accusations’, with its intense, hard-hitting commentary on the iniquity of the system, accentuated by its ‘stepped alarm’ style background track.
Two tracks that had me lowkey tripping on the food-centric themes were ‘Akahol’ and ‘Pop’s Fry Song’. The refrain, “I been drinkin’ that alcohol, I been sippin’ that alcohol”, delivered in a husky, low voice had a curiously sobering effect… instead of making me reach for another drink, it had me pouring mine into the sink. The second, ‘Pop’s Fry Song’, while also being an ode to addiction, was charming and laugh-out-loud quirky, with its incongruous lyrics (“french fries any time, that’s a fact… I could eat ‘em any day, no question…”) set to a high-energy dance beat. The track’s fun mood reminded me of ‘Ham ‘N’ Eggs’ by A Tribe Called Quest.
The track that had me floored, though, was ‘Bottomless Bag’. With its fast-paced delivery, b-girl style rhythm and the urgency of its, “got a bottomless bag, bottomless bag” theme-phrase, the song conjured up a shopaholic’s paradise that was accentuated by lines like, “don’ gotta wait the 1st and the 5th… it’s a curse and a gift” playing on my imagination.
Looking up the musician on Instagram, I soon got talking with Calispeedway, also known as Alanna Bryant, resident of Atlanta, Georgia (though originally from Cleveland, Ohio). I was impressed (but not really surprised) on learning that Alanna is an experienced songwriter turned independent artist, who has worked with various big names in the industry, including Lil Wayne, Jim Jones and Rick Ross… that certainly explained the impactful lyrics and the musical variety of her songs!
Who were her inspirations, I wanted to know. They were the musicians whose output consistently reflected the creativity of the inner artist, said Cali, citing Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott as powerful examples, while adding at the same time that she also found inspiration in the music of artists like Drake and Kanye West.
Besides staying original and true to oneself in one’s art, Cali explained that what is truly important to her is being able to own one’s art, and to decide how and where to share one’s creative output with one’s audience. Backing up this assertion is Cali’s active profile with several NFTs listed on the thriving ChillRx music community in the OpenSea NFT marketplace.
With her NFTs doing well and her Spotify profile steadily increasing in visibility, what’s up next for Calispeedway, I ask. Cali’s answer reflects her clear focus and direction: she sees her music making a mark first through shows and movies, gaining traction through music discovery apps like Shazam en route to building a strong profile as an indie artist. Given that she has already taken the first, successful step in that direction, I know it’s not long before we hear Cali’s music on more popular shows and blockbuster hits in the months to come. In the meanwhile, we can keep up with the latest musical doings of this talented musician on Instagram.
© 2022, Seth "Digital Crates" Barmash. All rights reserved.
