It doesn't matter what project you're hitting play on, the musical offerings of Raz Simone have always consisted of deep, emotional content. However, with his latest project, Still Love, it appears as though Simone is tapping into and channeling a new wave of emotions previously untouched - at least on wax - by the Black Umbrella artist.
Barely a week after the release of "Dancing With My Heart", the first single off Still Love, Raz returns with "Isn't Love". The latest drop, which comes in the form of a visual experience courtesy of Jacob Hill, continues the exploration and lyrical exposé on our most sacred emotion and the Universe's most powerful force - love.
Featuring a performance from Raz his listeners have not yet experienced, "Isn't Love" is highlighted by Simone taking a risky leap into the laying of raw, uncut and unfiltered vocals. The raspy voiced Simone bares his soul throughout the record, showing a characteristic lack of fear in regards to the ongoing evolution of his skill-set, especially in terms of delivery. We're witnessing first hand Simone's experimentation with new sounds, delivery, ambiance and cadence, which all serves to make an already "real" joint even more personalized.
In a vein similar to "Dancing With My Heart", "Isn't Love" seems to be dancing with the fine line between real love and the illusion of love that so many individuals trap themselves in as a result of preconceived notions and a lack of self-awareness. As we rush through life, eager to find our "soul mate", we become blind to the true essence of ourselves and we begin to quiet the mind and heart in order to serve and uphold some false sense of companionship. We become so quick to ignore the clear signs negating the relationship simply because we want so badly to feel loved.
This is why so many people hang on so tightly, with clenched white knuckles, to toxic people and toxic relationships.
We confuse fear-based emotions with love - what we so frequently call "love" is, in actuality, a self-defeating, ego-driven relationship consisting of jealousy, a fear of being alone and a desire for companionship of any form. Over time, if the ties aren't cut, we end up with a lack of self-love and a lack of self-worth, all because we wanted to badly for another person to love us.
Love is so beautiful. And so tragic.
At the end of the day, one needs to have a real love of self before they begin searching for the love of another person. Only upon loving yourself - being able to be alone with yourself and not confusing the ideas of "alone" and "lonely" - will an individual have the pure ability to be and live in love.
The utilization of the forrest, and the solitude that comes with it, to bring "Isn't Love" to life holds a powerful message within itself. Throughout the video, Raz is alone - the video does not paint a picture of a broken relationship, with two parties arguing. Rather, it's Raz in the woods, coming to revelations about a relationship and purging his emotions as he's surrounded by nothing but the peaceful strength of nature.
Even though the lyrical content is presented as if it's directed at a specific individual, the actual video shows Simone reciting his prose to himself. In a calm yet aggressive manner, Raz is coming to terms with something his heart has known for quite some time. What we witness with "Isn't Love" is Simone's head and heart merging together, finding the gentle and necessary balance that will allow him to finally let go and move on.
Raz handled the production on "Isn't Love" and also directed the music video.
Still Love is on the way. Watch "Isn't Love" below.
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