Chicago based experimental hiphop duo ANGRY BLACKMEN formed sometime in early 2017. The group consists of rappers Brian Warren and Quentin Branch. Now in 2024 ABM are back  with a full-length record entitled ‘The Legend of ABM’, a 30-minute coming of age narrative about black men navigating this wilderness known as North America. 

 

‘The Legend of ABM’ immediately smacks the listener in the eardrum leaving no second wasted and jumping straight to the point. ‘The Legend of ABM’ tells the story of two Black men hustling through the trenches of capitalism and the effect that this journey has on them. While the album exudes catchy wordplay and spine-splitting production handled by Formants, digging deeper into the album the group spin a tale of depression, existentialism and afro futurism. Warren & Branch’s raw poetry educates the listener of the pre-apocalyptic hyper capitalistic world we’re already living in throughout this project. Personal anecdotes of tragedy and survival over soundscapes created from the future provide a passionate yet introspective look at the world-at-large. ‘The Legend of ABM’ is not an excursion for the weak, the production is meant to snap your spine in half, the lyrics from Quentin & Brian are pathos infused and relatable to anyone simply trying to survive. 

 

Words by 

- Michael Stover