A potent blend of psychedelic funk, rap, and old-school R&B—that best describes JuJu Rogers’ Pink Guitars, Spaceships N Voodoo Dolls. Think thick beats, wah-wah guitars, and echoes of P-Funkadelic, Sly Stone and Curtis Mayfield throughout, while—for those of us who listen beyond the beat—he casts a lyrical eye at the unsettled worlds around and within us, while also delving into matters divine and identity.
His New Orleans-born dad, an American G.I., met his German mom while stationed in southern Germany. A cultural confusion ensued during his early years, with the competing allegiances of identity somewhat settled once he discovered his father’s collection of jazz and soul records. (Music has a way of reshaping DNA, after all.) He also took up trumpet and eventually found a home in his local punk and hardcore scene. His first album, the hip hop-flavored From the Life of a Good-for-Nothing, arrived in 2015 and, between then and now, he’s released a few more long players. Pink Guitars, however, is a giant step forward, integrating jazz, soul and rap into what he calls “Afrophunk.” In the press release, he explains that the name “stands for the deconstruction of Black stereotypes and the promotion of a decolonized self-understanding. It’s about embracing expressions of Blackness that are often overlooked; it’s a deeper, maybe even spiritual, understanding of DIY.”
“Elohim” is a great taste of the album as a whole. It features distorted vocals, a funky bass, and the aforementioned wah-wah guitars, plus a soulful guest turn from singer, songwriter and poet Jamilia Woods. (Just as an aside, it led me to a deep dive into Woods’ own works. Her 2023 outing, Water Made Us, is highly recommended.) Rogers says it “explores the idea of the divine within. It reflects on how wisdom, compassion and truth already exist inside us, encouraging self-reflection, personal responsibility and a deeper sense of purpose, while recognizing the sacred in others.”
The album also features collaborations with Pink Siifu, MONEYNICCA, and the Philadelphia hardcore punk band Soul Glo. The one with Pink Siifu, “Build N Destroy,” shares a lyrical bon mot that’s applicable for our algorithm-driven age: “I think, therefore I am/Are you a robot or a man?/I think, therefore I am/Are you sure that you still can?” “Black Rose” and “Sadclown” are additional highlights, with the taut grooves underscoring incisive self-portraits. As he sings in the former, “I’m the weirdest guy that I know/And I love it—let me shine on.” And “Voodoo Chile” is as intoxicating as it is understated.
In short, Pink Guitars, Spaceships N Voodoo Dolls is an artful blend of discordant styles, with elements sure to please people who just want to get their groove on and others, like me, who enjoy philosophical bromides mixed in from time to time.
The Old Grey Cat 