pedestrian doesn't work well with the algorithm. Web searches for his indistinct moniker are useless; his small number of music releases is poorly-distributed; and while he's received a fair amount of critical praise, most was never, or is no longer, online. Even before the internet was so integral to a musician's career, James Brandon Best, as he was born, didn't play ball with the music industry. With no press photos, no music videos, rare and often-bewildering public performances, obscure lyrics, only two albums in over two decades, and not being the type of guy who gets invited to industry social gatherings, pedestrian's music hasn't reached nearly the amount of listeners it deserves.
While the collective that he named, anticon, blew up in the early 00s, establishing an unprecedentedly poetic, rough-hewn brand of hip hop, and his cohorts toured the globe, releasing a torrent of critically-praised projects, seemingly reaching the extent of popularity that could be achieved with cryptic, trend-eschewing rap music at that time, Brandon, as he's known personally, opted out of most of the opportunities afforded by popularity. The now-long-disbanded group of artists remain successful in their individual music careers, each settling into their own contemporary art ecosystems, except, that is, for pedestrian, who remains on the fringes of obscurity, quietly allowing his artistic legacy to wither.
Unwilling to bend to the norms of a modern career artist, Brandon is arguably self-defeating in the extent to which he's made his work inaccessible. Even if one manages to track down any of his recordings, cursory listens will leave the vast majority of rap listeners confused, as much of the language is coded and chock-full of highly specific references.
UnIndian Songs Volume I has been expanded and remastered for digital and cassette release, accompanied by a lyric/photo booklet. (Pre-order it now at http://extraordinaryrap.bandcamp.com.)
In this episode, we sit down with pedestrian to unpack the album's many layers, references, and hidden meanings.
The album comes out digitally, on May 1, 2024, May Day, a day commemorating the historic struggles and gains of the workers and labour movement. The album itself being largely focused on the United States' atrocities against its land's native peoples, it's a fitting day of solidarity and protest against imperialist forces.
In this spirit, all profits of the album will be donated directly to providing drinking water and search-and-rescue efforts to those desperate enough to attempt unlawful crossing of the southern US border, courtesy of the South Texas Human Rights Center.
