Gabriel Black’s “Freedom” is guitar-led hip hop at it’s finest

10 October 2017, 11:13 | Written by Aaron Powell

(Tracks)

(Gabriel Black)

Surfacing late last year, Gabriel Black has quickly risen to the rank of online mental health guru and 21st-century guitar hero.

Gabriel Black is shy, uncomfortable, slightly arrogant, extremely intelligent, highly articulate and dangerously close to breaking through into the mainstream. On new track “Freedom” we really see a delineation of the man behind the music in his perfectly frenzied and unkempt state, something that wasn’t quite there on “sad boy” and “pine trees”.

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There is a darkness to Gabriel Black’s work that is quite unsettling given the general historical outcomes of brilliant but tortured young minds. For an artist, at the beginning of their career, it is interesting to see such a forum for discussion about taboo issues forming around him and his music. Let us hope that the bleak aspects abate one day.

Find out more about Gabriel Black: the missing link between emo, rock and hip-hop in our exclusive first interview.

“Freedom” is out now.