Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Gabriel Teodros, host of Early on KEXP, is "The Life" by Mystic, from the 2021 re-release Cuts For Luck and Scars For Freedom on Beautiful Soundworks.
Twenty years ago, west coast MC Mystic (real name: Mandolyn Wind Ludlum) released her debut full-length Cuts for Luck and Scars for Freedom, an album that landed her a Grammy Award nomination for the track "W" and a BET Awards nomination for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist. Despite the accolades, the album suffered from poor distribution, and after a 2014 LP (titled Beautiful Resistance), Mystic focused her energies as a member of the Hip Hop Caucus, a non-profit organization that promotes "political activism for young U.S. voters using hip-hop music and culture."
Now, in 2021, the album sees a resurgence as Mystic is able to re-release it on her own Beautiful Soundworks label. "It is really special to me to have the music become available for the 20th anniversary, and even more beautiful because I own the masters," she shared on her Facebook page. "Imagine how it feels to have walked away from the masters that held my life, my healing, my joy, and everything about me, so that I could just have my freedom back, retain my love of my craft, continue my healing and, and go back to school to be of service to more children."
