November 13, 2015
shirlette teams up with sookee on “Language Barrier Segue”
From Culture Collide:
As a poet and musician, Durham, North Carolina-based wordsmith shirlette ammons is well-versed on the robust and all-encompassing power of lyricism. In anticipation of Language Barrier, her sophomore album and riotous ode to verse (out on February 5), ammons has just gifted the public with a brand-new single, a collaboration with Berlin’s resident rap queen sookee entitled, “Language Barrier Segue.” Here, militaristic drum beats merge with ominous drones and heavy-hitting bass drops as spoken word reigns supreme. ammons reveals that the release centers around the notion of “love as an act of resistance.” She explains, “I wanted to approach genre as a ‘barrier’ then break it down. I wanted to write an album that explores the ways we love across imposed and implied barriers.”
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sookee and i are consistent collaborators and i’m very proud that this track is debuting at this moment. for those interested, i’ve posted the lyrics here:
LANGUAGE BARRIER SEGUE
lyrics: sookee, shirlette ammons
music: Daniel Hart
vocals: sookee, shirlette ammons
sookee verse (w/English translations)
Es geht selten um english esperanto und deutsch
It’s rarely about english esperanto or german
Es geht oft darum zu verdrängen und darum zu versäumen
It’s more often about repressing and neglecting
Die barriere im kopf eine karriere verbockt
The barrier in the mind, a career gambled away
Keine euros und dollars auch kein leben für für gott
No euros no dollars neither a life for god
Aber ein klares verständnis wie kann ich dir begegnen
But a clear understanding of how i can i encounter you
Meine konzepte und wünshe inzwishen nicht mehr vernebelt
My concepts and wishes aren’t foggy anymore
Denn ich trau mir vertrauen zu in gesichtern verewigt
Cause i dare to have trust manifested in faces
In teilen im meim eigenen und dazwishen beweglich
Partly in parts and also in my own, still flexible in between
Da sind liebesbegriffe die uns zu tiefe verpflichen
There are terms of love that obligate us to depth
Worte sind sauerstoffflashen wenn uns krisen vergiften
Words are oxygen bottles when we are poisoned by crises
Wir kommunizieren komplexer realitäten entsprechend
We communicate more complex according to realities
Was meinst du mit was meinst du kann mich nicht ewig verstecken
What do you mean by what do you mean, can’t hide forever
Sprache ergänzt durch blicke hände und lächeln
Language complemented by gazes hands and smiles
Wir sind so im moment dass wir das ende vergessen
We are so kept in the moment that we forget about the end
Und den anfang, den standard wenn du magst kannst dus weitersagen
And about the beginning and the standards, you can spread the word if you want to
Parole brückenbau und grenzen zerplatzen wie seifenblasen
Watch word building bridges, barriers burst like soap bubbles
shirlette verse:
For those who deal with the ridged curiosity’s hidden
and the aim is mistaken coded in smokescreens of language
Take the tongue from the tiger feel ashamed when they bite it
but we aim for the opposite, igniting the silence
If we don’t name our injustice a generations indicted
if we do speak about it, we’d be far from nearsighted
I wrote this fearing the mirror the one you clearly invited
held up facing the angels plus the demons inside us
I’m only versed in 3 pidgins: ebonic, country, and christian
plus the jargon of forefathers who don’t seek forgiveness
Now we burning them bridges amidst the broken and brilliant
watch the barriers burst like bubbles scaling a building
but nothing’s ever that simple ‘cept my word and my pencil
in 24 hour diners breaking from making a living yeah
so when I finish the sentence
since we mend distance with sentence
let’s never finish this sentence
“For me, Meshell Ndegeocello is the musician who best represents a genuine creative freedom, without fear of bounds or boundaries. Her catalogue of music is genius and has undoubtedly been one that has provided me with the most inspiration, affirmation, challenge to learn, and freedom to create what I want how I want. It’s really difficult to put into words how much it means to have her perform “Dear Nora”–a song I wrote that reflects this notion of ‘love as an act of resistance,’ which is the main artery of the album. I wanted each song on the record to possess its own collection of risks. I think “Dear Nora”‘s risks lie in its marriage of fantasy and hopefulness, which seem to be relevant, juxtaposing themes in this day and age. Meshell’s handling of the song allows those themes to become apparent, then visible, and ultimately tangible. She’s simply amongst the best. I’m so very grateful,” Shirlette Ammons tells AFROPUNK. 
