If you haven’t been paying attention to The Blackson over the last year or so, you’re missing out on some innovative release tactics, some compelling ambiguity and some great hip-hop.
Back in June of 2023, they unveiled an art show entitled “Do Something Important.” It’s a multimedia affair consisting of interconnected pieces on his social media, his website and the real world. It was, decidedly, not on streaming services.
In September, he launched the accompanying mixtape Do Something Important. Here, again, he did not post the audio in the usual places. You needed to put in a little work for it. Tho, to be fair, he did post the occasional YouTube treat, so the breadcrumbs were not impossible to find. The mixtape is now streaming. After months of making you work for it, now you can find the album in the usual spots. The reason for this seems to be that The Blackson – now referring to himself as “The Artist” – has moved on to the next immersive project.
The new project, much like the last, requires some investigation on your part. The instagram account for The Artist has been reset and new crumbs have been posted – leading you to the same destination as the previous project but with new content, FreeLunchIsImportant.com. It doesn’t require knowing a secret code or reading the source code of the site, you simply need to tap on things that aren’t labeled.
The only problem with undertakings of this nature is that explaining them ruins the experience for the visitor. There’s a temptation to add all the information here for you, possibly hidden behind white text on a white background, but then you’d never take the time to explore because the secret would be explained. The enjoyment of the process is the process. Doing the work and finding these things yourself adds a layer of enjoyment. In an era of music consumption that is entirely one directional – New Release Radar playlists, algorithms feeding you, radio stations serving up Hot New tracks – you may just benefit from doing a little investigation yourself, see what there is to find. The Artist is engaging us, why not engage right back?
Hah! No big reveals here! Like I said, just a temptation – it’s no fun to give you the answers. You must go seek them on your own.