Ferge X Fisherman ft: Mick Jenkins - What Have We Become (Official Video)
Picture Credit: Steffen Metzger
German hip-hop/rap duo Ferge X Fisherman have previously released three well received jazz-infused albums. Their forthcoming fourth full-length record, ‘Good Mother’, is a concept work about facing and embracing various life stages and sees them deploy gospel choirs, vintage strings, soulful Rhodes chords and wah-wah guitar pedals to give the entire record a distinctly ‘70s film soundtrack vibe.
The album song ‘What Have We Become’ has been released today as a single. Featuring the Chicago-based rapper Mick Jenkins, it orbits around the topic of growing up as he and FXF rapper Fritz Fisherman reminisce about specific moments, experiences and impressions of their past and paint a detailed picture of what it means to leave youth behind and progress into adulthood. The search for love, the realisation of social responsibilities and acceptance of change are all part of the song.
Coming across like a last late night drive through your hometown on a warm summer night, knowing you might not be returning for a while, a warm and soulful production with just the right amount of melancholy make ‘What Have We Become’ a track to think, sing and vibe to all at once. An artful drum groove meets vintage warm strings, a complex bass line and warm but melancholy Rhodes make it a must listen for all alternative hip-hop fans.
'What Have We Become’ follows the introductory ‘Lace Up’, ‘Adults’ and ‘Racing’ in being issued as singles ahead of the album release.
Vocalist Fritz and musician Ferge originally met as teenagers while skateboarding in their home city of Nuremberg. An immediate chemistry between the two swiftly extended to involve crack jazz quartet Nujakasha, who have become an integral part of the FXF set-up both live and in the studio. It is a partnership that has already seen the release of ‘Gone Fishing’ (2018), ‘Blinded By The Neon’ (2020) and ‘Duality’ (2022), on which the likes of Noah Slee, Black Milk, Takuya Kuroda and Hunter Rose have also guested.
‘Good Mother’ kicks things up to another level, boasting a reappearance from Kuroda plus features from Mick Jenkins, Jerome Thomas and Ceeopatra on a multi-dimensional coming-of-age album that explores the complexities involved in the process of growing-up; formative experiences, evaluation of past decisions, sexual insecurity, financial and emotional concerns, as well as the acknowledgement of universal fears as time ticks by.