I love hip-hop and all music in all its forms. I wouldn’t be back on here if that wasn’t true. However, there’s always been something about boombap that’ll perk up my ears and creep a smile onto my face–regardless of how I felt beforehand. I mean, when music hits you, you’re supposed to feel no pain and boombap definitely brings more pleasure than the alternative feeling. Philosophical discussions about music aside, I just received the latest from San Jose-based artist Andrew Bigs entitled “Be You.”

It’s a simple premise with a simple message: touch base with your fam and friends and never try to fake the funk because everyone’s got their own swagger…so be yourself. However, simple never really means simplistic. Where Bigs blossoms on this one is his flow. The lyrics are dope and the beat makes me smile, but his flow helps bring everything together. The track itself is a melting pot of positive energies, progressive thoughts, and self-esteem-elevating mantras and lyrics.

Considering that today is the 10th anniversary of my mother’s passing, I needed that type of track in my life when I got it. Back in the day, I’d try to bottle everything up when it came to my mom, since I used to think “no one wants to hear me cry about it.” That, of course, led me to cry even more when it finally did all spill out. So, I started being myself when it came to my emotions: letting them out as they came (healthily and as non-destructive or reductive as possible). It definitely helped me come to terms with a lot of my feelings–and eventually come to terms with myself, my “self” and the role my mom had and has in my life. I also started to lean more on my family, both biological and chosen. All of that keeps me from losing touch of who I am, even in times like death anniversaries.

Getting back to the song itself, it clocks in just under three minutes and not a second is wasted, even thought the bars don’t cut in until about thirteen seconds and the drums drop at 0:22. But that buildup is what lets this one become so cathartic to listen to (as I’m sure it was cathartic for Bigs to write and record). Check out the track and support dope music in all its forms.