You Are Now A Human Being

Isaiah Rashad “HB2U”

“HB2U” is a type of rap song I’m always going to be partial to, the kind where sentimentality and nostalgia is conveyed musically through somewhat syrupy vintage soul samples and a slow, nodding beat. Isaiah Rashad is certainly reminiscing in his lyrics but he’s at best ambivalent about the memories he’s conjuring, and the real focus in the song is on taking note of old patterns in himself and his family and using it as motivation to move on. The song is split into two parts – the first section centered specifically on memories, the second serving more as a conclusion to the broader themes of the album as Rashad struggles with sobriety and acclimates to living outside his comfort zone both literally and figuratively. The second section is what really gets me, particularly the way Rashad repeats the line “you are now a human being” is his soulful but defeated rasp. He sounds like he knows he should feel more jubilant about surviving and getting to start over again, but more than anything he just seems exhausted by the effort and knowing how much work is ahead of him.

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