Burning flares. Riot gear. The quiet moments that come right before the flash grenades start dropping. These are scenes from the frontlines of a revolution – a war on oppression – and they’re also some of the more compelling shots included in the music video for the new single from Rich Lindo, “Jungle.” Keeping it fresh and simple with both his compositional approach and the video made to support this track’s release, Lindo unleashes the angst and urgency of the modern protestor in “Jungle,” and no matter what side of the isle your political beliefs lie on, there’s no denying how captivating a release this all-new studio cut is even after repeat listening sessions.
Like the music video, the hook – as well as the verses in general – is structured around the concept of external excesses being the antithesis of what an original hip-hop song needs in 2020, and personally, I’m grateful for it. Lindo’s vocal is a lean, mean fighting machine here, and if it were covered up with a lot of bass and drum destruction, I don’t think we could have appreciated the sense of virtuosity that it brings to the table in this track.
Watch the powerful music video for “Jungle.”
When you’re working with the kind of raw skill that this character is, the idea of taking straightforward concepts and complicating them with a lot of mathematical melodies never enters the big picture; Lindo doesn’t need bells and whistles in “Jungle,” because his voice is already providing us with more than enough pizazz.
I wasn’t listening to the music of Rich Lindo before finding out about his new single and its video just the other day, but now that I know his message and the melodic capabilities he’s using to get it out to the public, this won’t be the last time I spin his material. “Jungle” takes us into the heart and soul of an international movement to end systemic racism and the dividing lines that keep too many of us apart, but aside from the powerful statements it makes about society, it gives us ample reasons to believe in the future prospects of one Rich Lindo.
