Magic, Alive! - McKinley Dixon: Review
Review by Lavender:
McKinley Dixon is a Virginia rapper who has spent this decade rising higher and higher as a critical darling of hip-hop. That began in 2021 with his album For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her, which I liked a lot. That trek continued onto 2023's Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? which I was equally fond of. I got the chance to interview McKinley at the end of 2023, and he sounded like someone who knew their work wasn't done yet. which is why I was so excited to hear from him again. On Magic, Alive!, he delivered everything I could ask for and more.
After a short intro, the album begins with its lead single “Sugar Water,” whose jazzy instrumental with wandering sax lines and bouncy piano kick-starts the record immediately. McKinley pops up three times on the song, and he's pretty much flawless with each and every appearance. Guest rapper Quelle Chris can't nearly match that energy, and as a result, the vibrant instrumental kind of floods him out, which isn't the worst thing in the world when the instrumental is this good, I guess. Later on the record, we get another highlight with a feature who struggles a bit to keep up on “F.F.O.L.” It's the loudest song on the album with blaring brass and piercing keys on the hook and McKinley is absolutely in his fucking bag flow wise. Teller Bank$ gets a little bit lost in the fold, but it's okay because elsewhere on the record, he hits a home run.
That comes on the third single “Recitatif,” whose two distinct parts show off McKinley's ambition but also his talent as an earnest lyricist and a pummeling vocalist. Though I don't love some of the vocal effects deployed in the first half the beat-switches into an absolute fucking banger of a second half where McKinley and Bank$ absolutely let it rip with great results. Next to it on the album is “Crooked Stick,” which has such a bizarre and off-kilter hook I absolutely adore. The whole song sounds like cLOUDDEAD if everyone involved was laser-focused on dishing out tight bars and catchy flows. The song also serves as a well-earned flex for McKinley, who hilariously claims he could revive an OG's career with a feature on his record in one of the most memorable moments on the album.
The record is additionally beaming with sentimentality, something a few of its features are well equipped to handle. “All The Loved Ones” is one of several songs where McKinley is reminiscing about his mother and his childhood. He's candid about the ways he was annoying to her as a child, but she always stuck up for him anyway, even building a hilarious hook around the idea that she'll beat up anyone who messes with him. ICECOLDBISHOP and Pink Siifu match that level of candor and approach the subject matter with their own memories, resulting in a really, really interesting song to break down lyrically.
But the record's standout feature and its standout song in general is the closer “Could've Been Different.” It has the best chorus on the album with stunning group vocals over a gentler but sunny and sentimental instrumental that combine into an absolutely addicting hook. Lyrically, McKinley details childhood ambitions and hardships and how they all swell together into a feeling he can't quite put into words. Then, in the song, he speaks directly to a poster of Blu on the wall, which is extremely charming as McKinley has frequently cited Blu as one of his biggest inspirations. Then Blu himself cuts into the song, rapping from the literal perspective of the poster on the wall. Not only that, but in his verse, he credits McKinley back for his accomplishments and even opens up on the ways he's been inspired by everything McKinley has achieved. It's the kind of beautiful moment that's difficult to convey in music, and it makes me want to genuinely cry every time I hear it.
The album's other stroke of pure genius is “Run, Run, Run Pt. II,” which is a direct sequel to one of his most popular songs to date from the album that preceded this one, Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? Fittingly for a song about making sure you keep running at a cost it's such a propulsive moment that hits the ground running and is amazing from its opening notes. The last few bars of the chorus, in particular, feel like they wrap up so much of what McKinley is trying to convey in just a few words. Similarly, there's “Listen Gentle,” another piece of jazzy retrospection with an absolutely stunning second verse and a wandering bridge that erupts into a final chorus that's one of the grandest and most encompassing moments for the entire album instrumentally.
Even when the record isn't completely on its A-game, McKinley’s talent and good ideas still shine through. “We're Outside, Rejoice!” is handicapped by the weakest instrumental on the record, with an ugly warbling organ that I don't really care for. Even then, though McKinley is sharp in his performance, and the way the hook always wraps back around to the group vocals is nice and makes it easier to swallow just how much of the runtime it takes up. “Magic, Alive!” is the only real dud on the record for me, especially with the kooky vocals McKinley tries to deploy. But even hidden underneath a rough sonic approach are some genuinely staggering lyrics that further attest to how creative and dynamic he is as a songwriter.
As an album, Magic, Alive! is remarkable. While I loved both of McKinley's previous records, if there's any justice in the world, this will be the one that elevates him and the run he's currently on to legendary status. His gift as a storyteller is only narrowly outdone by his eclectic taste, which causes these instrumentals to burst with life and his cutting lines to cascade out of the speakers. His talent has always been unquestionable, and with Magic, Alive! McKinley Dixon put it all together in the way I've been excitedly looking forward to for years. 9/10
For more great hip-hop, check out my review of billy woods' GOLLIWOG
