Detroit’s soul-heavy super producer, Black Milk, is back with one of his darkest, most heavy-hitting albums to date.
No Poison, No Paradise was released on October 15 by Fat Beats and Computer Ugly Records. The 13-track LP boasts collaborations with Quelle Chris, Robert Glasper, LaTonya Givens, Tariq Trotter, and Andwele Gardner. It is produced by Black Milk, with help from Detroit’s funk powerhouse Will Sessions.
Two of the most enticing tracks on the album are “Sunday’s Best” and “Monday’s Worst.” The songs appear back-to-back and have an overlapping message.
“Sunday’s Best” is the story of a young boy who is dealing with the realities of his environment. His good nature is highlighted, but the boy is learning to question his surroundings within a troubled community.
“Monday’s Worst” is the result of that same young boy who “went down that wrong path.” The harsh realities of the boy’s life have begun to inspire his thoughts and actions, which ultimately contribute to his demise.
Black Milk has now released a video for the two songs in conjunction titled “Sunday’s Best/Monday’s Worst.” Shot entirely in Detroit, the visuals offer a realistic depiction of the influences and consequences within a troubled environment.
Aesthetically, the first half of the video is bright and innocent. The images of the boy’s favorite toys and bedroom offer a notion of normalcy. He is woken up by his father. He attends church with his family. He even wears a suit to service. (It happens to be pressed on his bed by Detroit’s own Jai Fears.) The musical narrative is inspiring, encouraging, and inherently good.
The second half of the video changes directions. The tempo skips to a slower, organ-driven beat, as the sampled soul vocalist wails, “It’s never too late to get your values straight.” The grown-up main character (played by Black Milk’s cousin) has chosen a dark lifestyle. A particularly profound scene, it depicts the protagonist’s physical maturity with a series of slow-motion smoke rings and the introduction of his jaded demeanor.
Artists often avoid mirroring the story of a song within its visual component. In many cases, a video’s images are almost completely unrelated. “Sunday’s Best/Monday’s Worst” ignores this industry trend. Black Milk’s mini-film is a welcome testament to old-school, storytelling in hip-hop. Once again, Black Milk proves his potency — this time with a detailed and mature, cautionary tale.