pedestrian: UnIndian Songs Volume I
An expanded remaster of the 2005 album, with zine and limited cassette
Extraordinary Rap is proud to present an updated version of the classic debut album by one of hip hop’s most elusive, learned, and iconoclastic MCs, founding member of anticon, pedestrian.
pedestrian doesn't work well with the algorithm. Web searches for his indistinct moniker are useless; his small number of music releases is poorly-distributed; and while he's received a fair amount of critical praise, most of his music has remained offline until now. Even before the internet was so integral to a musician's career, James Brandon Best, as he was born, didn't play ball with the music industry. With no press photos, no music videos, rare and often-bewildering public performances, obscure lyrics, only two albums in over two decades, and not being the type of guy who gets invited to industry social gatherings, pedestrian's music hasn't reached nearly the amount of listeners it deserves.
While the collective that he named, anticon, blew up in the early 00s, establishing an unprecedentedly poetic, rough-hewn brand of hip hop, and his cohorts toured the globe, releasing a torrent of critically-praised projects, seemingly reaching the extent of popularity that could be achieved with cryptic, trend-eschewing rap music at that time, Brandon, as he's known personally, opted out of most of the opportunities afforded by popularity. The now-long-disbanded group of artists remain successful in their individual music careers, each settling into their own contemporary art ecosystems, except, that is, for pedestrian, who remains on the fringes of obscurity, quietly allowing his artistic legacy to wither.
Unwilling to bend to the norms of a modern career artist, pedestrian is arguably self-defeating in the extent to which he's made his work inaccessible. Even if one manages to track down any of his recordings, cursory listens will leave the vast majority of rap listeners confused, as much of the language is coded and chock-full of highly specific references.
The 8-page, 8.5x11” zine that accompanies the tape (limited to 103 copies) is based on the album’s lyrics but they are abridged, expanded and expounded upon to create an essential new work, new work being exceptionally rare in the case of this most un-prolific artist. But what pedestrian’s work lacks in breadth is balanced by its depth. A typical line of lyrics contains more thought and meaning than most rappers’ entire albums. Which is why his work is worth revisiting and pondering, and why this zine is vital.
In addition to the album’s beautiful remaster by Odd Nosdam, who made it shine like it never has, the extra material, including rare tracks from the era of its original release, brand new production by Matt Chang (who did most of the music on the album), remixes, and live recordings, adds new dimensions to the project.
The cassette’s etched plastic case and shell print are pretty cool too.
UnIndian Songs Volume I was re-released on May 1, 2024, May Day, a day commemorating the historic struggles and gains of the workers and labour movement. The album itself being largely focused on the United States' atrocities against its land's native peoples, it's a fitting day of solidarity and protest against imperialist forces.
100% of the profits for this project (after costs) are going to aid illegal US border crossings because fuck borders, and fuck our government for causing the dire circumstances causing these people to take such desperate measures to escape their decimated countries. We’ll be helping to provide drinking water and search-and-rescue efforts courtesy of the South Texas Human Rights Center, southtexashumanrights.org.
So if you haven’t yet purchased this album, do it! Now!!
The latest episode of Extraordinary Rap Podcast is an in-depth interview with pedestrian breaking down the album's lyrics, sample choices, and larger context. Listen at extraordinaryrap.org or wherever else.
Our Patreon bonus includes another 40 minutes with pedestrian, plus a rundown of your host's recent rap listenings. Past bonus material includes even more talks with pedestrian, his unreleased Stuffed Animals album, interviews with other anticon members, and much more. Access it all for 3 lousy bucks at patreon.com/extraordinaryrap.