The Last Poets – This is Madness

The masterpiece sophomore album by spoken-word collective The Last Poets, This is Madness remains immensely poignant 50+ after its release calling out the oppressive, inhumane systems that continue to rule the world. “Related to what an ICBM, IBM / Another defied billion dollar ABM system / A attack B black and men system / Attack black men system / System attacks black men.” “Mean Machine Chant/Mean Machine Percussion,” in particular, is a groundbreaking track blending street poetry and percussion with bits of futuristic effects processing (echo and phaser) for a raw, minimalistic, and futuristic sound that would pave the way for rap and hip-hop. The album cover features a powerful image from Mati Klarwein, who is also responsible for the iconic Afro-psychedelic painting on Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew. Read our Art& Design feature on Klarwein here.

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