Mumu Fresh sings that the teacher arrives when the student is ready.
During a recent trip to the Tiny Desk, she came bearing life lessons
from the depths of her soul.
A regal combination of black power and Native American pride, Mumu Fresh
— also known by her birth name Maimouna Youssef — is an abundantly
gifted singer and emcee who prances between genres and styles. The
Baltimore native fuses her rich multi-octave range and ferocious rap
delivery with spiritually-inclined lyrics so potent and mindful they
precipitated a wellspring of emotion throughout the room.
Mumu is not new to NPR Music. During her guest appearance at February's
August Greene Tiny Desk, she stirred emotions with her verse on
"Practice," which spoke cathartically about the realities of being a
black woman. Mumu began her own Tiny Desk in her native Lakota tongue
with "Ink Pata," signaling a call to prayer in a sacred ritual. Looped
tribal chants of her own harmonies set the mood as delivered a stirring
spoken word performance that journeyed through her ancestral lineage to
the struggles of the present day.
With a buoyant and thoughtful spirit, Mumu and her band transitioned
into the classic-sounding "Miracles" from Vintage Babies, her
collaborative album with group mate DJ Dummy. Declaring it a celebration
of soul music, she mixed sweet tender melodies with lyrics to empower
those devoid of hope. It's in this song that Mumu shared the proverb
about the teacher and the student, while reminding us that we all have
to be ready for blessings yet to come. It made for a fluid segue into
"Work In Progress," accented by the feel-good chords of The Roots
keyboardist Ray Angry, an ebullient backdrop to Mumu's humanizing and
candid rap verse detailing her pathway to personal growth and self-love.
The set concludes with a new version of "Say My Name," a song Mumu wrote
about Sandra Bland, who died in police custody in 2015, and the impact
it had on her. Starting off with a 1950s doo-wop circle, she blends
traditional soul elements with politically relevant lyrics. Given Mumu's
stint writing and touring with The Roots after high school, it was only
fitting to have front man and lyrical force Black Thought make a
special guest appearance.
Set List
"Ink Pata"
"Miracles/Work in Progress"
"Say My Name" (feat. Black Thought)
Musicians
Maimouna Youssef (vocals), Andre "DJ Dummy" Smith (DJ), Black Thought
(vocals), Chelsey Green (violin), Monique Brooks-Roberts (violin), Kevin
Jones (cello), Corey Fonville (drums), Romier Mendez (bass), Ray Angry
(keys), Amber Harmon (supporting vocals)
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