aSA Child, Dave Diggs and his school friends William Hutson were inspired by the space age album covers of Funk Legends. Drawing pictures filled with sparkling UFOs and quirky interplanetary travelers, Diggs went on to become an actor. He won a Tony Award for his roles in Hamilton as the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, and later portrayed Sebastian’s crab in a live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. He also appeared in the Nickel Boys, which received two Oscar nominations this year. Despite his success in Hollywood and on Broadway, he still dreams of a fantastic sci-fi world with Hutson.
Another college roommate of Hutson, Jonathan Snipes, who had similar childhood experiences and was also inspired by otherworldly paintings, formed a friendship with Diggs. Together, they formed clipping in Los Angeles in 2010. Through Hutson and Snipes’ productions, Diggs weaved a bloody horror story about racial violence and the fatalisms of enslaved people in the universe. Their latest album, Dead Channel Sky, features Diggs rapping with mechanical precision over distorted Rave Music, creating a cyberpunk world for hackers, club fans, and future avatars.
Their music has earned them nominations for the Hugo Awards, the highest honor in science fiction. What sets them apart is Diggs’ decision to avoid using the first person in his lyrics, creating a unique storytelling experience akin to film or musical theater. By leaving out personal pronouns, their songs allow listeners to project themselves onto the characters and make connections between songs that weren’t initially intended.
Hutson criticizes mainstream hip-hop for its narrow constraints and emphasis on individualism, while clipping remains adaptable and authentic. Their music, described as “a CD compilation found in a future bin” by Hutson, is filled with storytelling where Diggs embodies different characters in each song, highlighting societal issues through vivid narratives.
Touching on themes of war, capitalism, and technology, clipping’s music draws inspiration from classic sci-fi tropes, creating parallels with life in the West today. Their latest work, Dead Channel Sky, is influenced by William Gibson’s Cyberpunk novel Neuromancer and explores the relationship between physical and digital realities.
Source: www.theguardian.com
