Thee Unemployed
“What”
By Lulu Moore
“What” Cover Artwork / Click to Listen!
Trapped in an existential post-pandemic loop, Austin-based rap band Thee Unemployed speak to a generation adjusting to a new normal. The group’s latest single release “What” is an active introspection into our wants and needs as individuals and as a society. The song begins with a seductive violin that pulls the listener into the mystery of all that is unwritten. Then a dynamic base and uptempo beat break the building tension and propel you into an exciting rap flow—making you want to bang on your chest and face the world’s unanswerable questions. Whether you’re bobbing your head in the moonlight and contemplating the weapons of your own destruction, or you’re tackling your day, marching with your headphones on full blast, “What” is an experimental rap track that makes facing the future fun rather than frightful.
Oz and Cisco, the lead rappers and founders of the group, joined forces in 2016 after freestyling together on a golf course in Dallas. The pandemic allowed them to develop their craft and assemble their six-person band. But given the pause in live music, showcasing their new creative strengths became a real challenge. Faced with a seemingly insurmountable problem, Thee Unemployed forged their own solution––and by building a boat big enough for their band to play on, audiences could safely come together on a Texas riverbed and bump to their newage, conscious rap sound.
Their music, quite like their life purview, is confident in tone and humble in character. Inspired by artists like Mac Miller, Freddie Gibbs, Sublime, and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Thee Unemployed execute a unique fusion of genres and celebrate all that was while getting you hip to all that’s new. If you’re ever overwhelmed by life’s noise, “What” by Thee Unemployed is an invigorating hype track that will help you refocus and align your intentions. Get lost in Oz and Cisco’s dirty flow, and revel in the succinct moments of their band’s instrumental levity.