Tebi Rex Plant Their Roots on the Emotional Journey âItâs Gonna Be Okayâ
Imagine a tall tree, centuries old, calmly weathering human history as it observes our desperate struggles, both firmly rooted against time and hyper sentient. Now imagine that tree can share its wisdom, offer its oracle-like knowledge to those in need, specifically you, granting you an epoch of awareness in resolving your individual woes. Tebi Rex, an indescribably imaginative hip-hop duo from Maynooth, Ireland, have stumbled upon such a tree, the creative genius for their second full-length release Itâs Gonna Be Okay.
The collision of influences, brought by the dissimilar protagonists of the project, Max Zanga and Matt OâBaoill, takes this American artform and spins it into a world of deep intimacy and poetic wellspring, one as rich in trials and travails as the best of Ăireâs famed literature. The conflicting mesh of the groupâin talents, approach and sentimentâdrives an originality most groups struggle to achieve even in deliberate reduction. But, on this second full-length, a true maturation in songwriting is evident. The honesty and conviction of the project is immediately notable, and while the future for the next project isnât yet plotted, the potential these two poets enjoy is palpable throughout Itâs Gonna Be Okay.Â
The meta narrative of a mythical tree is so cross-culturally expansive it defies quick summary (think Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden as one prosaic example), but the origin of Tebi Rexâs tree was from a novel, A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. The source of narrative was driven by both personal strife (Max specifically was dealing with his brotherâs battle with cancer, which appears lyrically in the album as well) and of course the physical separation and isolation the pandemic cast upon everyone.
Broken into three parts, the album doesnât have a true resolve. But, if learning and process are rewards, it does arc into a version of hope. In Act I, the âmiserableâ tracks comprise the first four songs, with âDeadman,â a diary of daily struggles lashed with meta-existential dread, arriving as a true angst-laden standout.
Act II has the âmiserable but happyâ songs and is the emotional bridge of the work. It rests on âOh It Hurtsâ and another crescendo of near-resistant optimism in âIt Will Never Be Enoughâ that embodies the true range of Tebi Rex âtwo distinct voices that then blend together in chorus with collaborator Rebecca Locke before unraveling again.
Act III is the âupswingâ of the album and alludes to not a true resolution, but from âFear Lasta Lampaiâ onwards, a therapeutic journey begins. âI Hate Everything, I Love Everythingâ is a personal favorite. It's my self-aware soundtrack for daily perseverance. (For those always curious about the purpose of individual art, the stories hidden in âHappy To Be Hereâ are excellent reveals). In its fullest state, Tebi Rex are a knowledgeable tree of their own, too young and new to be fully rooted, but surely able to encamp the human journey, reminding us all that it will be okay.
Listen to Itâs Gonna Be Okay below:
