Steve 'Flash' Juon“And there was one person in particular they called ‘Emotional Cuh’
AND HE WAS A SAD MOTHERFUCKER”
Most of the artists I’m familiar with from 88rising have an Asian background — Rich Brian, Joji (f/k/a Filthy Frank), et cetera. I’m only pointing this out because the late August 08 was an outlier for that label in a good way. After receiving a writing credit for DJ Khaled’s chart-topping hit “I’m the One” any number of labels were undoubtedly ready to give him a deal, but 88rising chose him and he chose them. It should have been a long and fruitful partnership but tragedy struck on August 26th, 2023 in what is described almost flippantly as “mistaken identity.” It seems a group of Crips saw August with a red hat on, thought he was a Blood, and opened fire. Another senseless murder over nothing.
Before his violent and unnecessary passing, August 08 left behind a body of work including albums like “Emotional Cuh.” Songs like “Bussdown Your Soul” featuring Barney Bones show the young man had a lot of soul in his large frame. Whether you consider it R&B or emo rap doesn’t matter to me. With his delivery the two are basically interchangeable. There’s a hint of pitch correction and vocal modulation to the track, but in this case I find it to be enhancing his inherent talent, not trying to disguise a lack of it. The Danny Shyman track thumps hard too. Everything works.
“In suburbia
Where they hide their pain
In suburbia
Numb like novocaine”
I get very Frank Ocean vibes from “Suburbia.” It’s not that Ray Davon Jacobs and Christopher Edwin Breaux have the same pitch or style, but this song and “Super Rich Kids” both hit the same thematic notes. While having a home and a two car garage might seem like the cliched American dream, it can be its own kind of hell for people forced to keep up appearances or risk being ostracized. Even though his friends interrupt between songs and tell him to stop being emotional and STFU, I feel the exact opposite listening to “Day Trip.” The background of helicopter blades and police sirens adds to the intensity of a man singing about the dangers of hiding his emotions behind substance abuse.
“You do me just like nobody
Refill me whenever I’m low
Alcohol to dull my cravings
I won’t change, I’m in my ways”
Even though I may be making you thing AUGUST 08 was a sad sack on “Emotional Cuh,” an idea he himself openly mocks, I find songs like “21” uplifting. There’s a wry twist to writing this posthumously as he sings “I’m alive” over and over again, but he was celebrating making it past an age most people said he wouldn’t. I think my ultimate takeaway from that is that he had a lot to live for and that even though he ultimately got to 31 before his demise, that just isn’t enough to satisfy me (or his fans).
It’s too easy in this world to fit into comfortable stereotypes, and for men one of the obvious ones is to “be strong” and not show your emotions. AUGUST 08 defied those expectations and in doing so made himself more relatable and more human to the listeners. Let’s celebrate those qualities about him and remember that in his brief time on this planet, he stood out amongst the crowd.