Sugi Dakks explains why "Normal Sucks"
Some people fit in, others try their best because they want to, yet a bold few are simply not interested in really fitting in anyhow. Enter Sugi Dakks in "Normal Sucks".
A multi-instrumentalist rapper, singer, slam poet, producer, and activist, Sugi was a big fish in a little pond -quite literally, as he hails from Lakeport, a tiny town in Northern Cali of about 5k people. His mixed African American/Japanese heritage made him stand out quite a bit from his peers in such as small place, and a lot of his music is a reflection and an exploration of what it means to be different at best and an outcast at worst, for instance, in his latest music video "Not The Only One", Sugi takes on his heritage and identity as it stands in a country where both diversity and racism overlap in a myriad of paradoxical experiences.
No doubt taking refuge in music, Sugi has been able to uphold his own uniqueness and let it fuel his creativity in a realm that rewards the fresh and unconventional with an excited audience ready to know what you're capable of. This has been the case for a while, as he's been leaving his mark on the world of music for while from behind the scenes, producing and co-producing tracks with Grammy-nominated Warner acts such as Wale and Chika, as well for commercial TV hit series such as “Power”, “MTV Cribs”, “Love Hip-Hop, Atlanta”, and “The Kelly Clarkson Show”.
Sugi's continued exploration of his identity and heritage through music turns into a clear celebration with his newest song "Normal Sucks", in which the artist fully embraces everything that makes him unique, including everything that he's chosen to be and become a part of. So if there's something about you that falls outside the norm, something that makes you not fit in with any of the cliques and groups around you, perhaps it's time to fully embrace and love that about yourself. Perhaps it's time to proudly proclaim that "Normal Sucks!" and be true.
Sugi's new release is without a doubt one of the most unconventional rap songs I've listened to in quite a while. It feels very off-the-wall and uniquely textured with hints of "ethnic" (for lack of a better term) rhythmic patterns that paint a very colorful picture of what must have informed such a composition in his head. Even as the hook comes in, rather than sticking to something a bit more traditionally catchy melodic structure, he opts to briefly acid-wash that part of the song and distort his own vocals, literally slowing things down as he asks the audience "Why you trynna be normal?" almost inducing a moment of psychedelic introspection. Why be "normal" indeed?
Photo Credits: Zach Bell
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Samuel Aponte is Venezuelan-born raised and based.
I joined Rival Magazine after a few years of doing PR work for independent musicians of all stripes; understanding their struggles to be heard in a sea of constant ADHD noise and paywalled access to platforms, I now bring a willingness to always appreciate and encourage the effort and creativity that artists put into their work . Can also find some of my writings on LADYGUNN and We Found New Music.