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Madcon: So Dark the Con of Man

Madcon So Dark the Con of Man
BMG 18 Aug 2008

Like most healthy duos, Madcon happens in twos. The Norwegian hiphop group derives its name from two words: ‘Mad’ and ‘Conspiracy.’ Its members Tshawe ‘Kaprikorn’ Baqwa and Yosef ‘Critical’ Wolde-Mariam were both born in Europe. Both have African lineage (South African and Eritrean-Ethiopian). Their album So Dark the Con of Man is their second effort. It is both danceable and lyrically engaging; a tribute to melody and rhyme, humor and the “serious stuff”.

The album begins with “Beggin’”, an upbeat number that borrows heavily from the Frankie Vallie classic. Baqwa’s voice soars through the melody as Woldemariam raps the upbeat verses that effectively deliver it to the twenty first century. Bass driven and infectious, the track reaks an effusive energy thats hard to forget. “Back on the Road” follows similarly, relying on a pondering, throaty guitar riff that’s probably hiphop’s best answer to a cowboy western. Other songs like “Life Too Short” ,“The Way We Do Thangs,” and “Suda Suda,” meld genres, fusing percussion and horn sections into production that combines Latin dance music with hiphop (think Yerba Buena or Will.i.am’s Sergio Mendez).  This combination undeniably lends itself to an unabashed good times feel. Baqwa’s voice is compelling—soulfully expressive, yet playful. He contains it on some songs; lets it soar on others. Woldemariam’s rhymes add texture, character and grit. As a title, So Dark the Con of Man is misleading. There’s nothing particulary dark about this album, nor conspirational. The track that comments harshly on being black in Europe, “Pride and Prejudice”, ironically uses a pulsating dance beat to do it. For all their duality, Madcon’s choice (known to every b-boy, ballerina and dancehall queen alike) is ultimately singular. Baqwe exclaims it on the aptly titled “Let’s Dance Instead”: “My people let’s get going, we runnin’ out of bass; but we wont let go until we run out of breath!”  True indeed. So Dark the Con of Man is an excuse to keep the house party going, and endear Norway for something other than black metal.