
By Charlie Maybee
This reading of Alchemical Records content is to provide a multimedia experience for our audience while increasing the accessibility of our content to persons with hearing loss, low vision, dyslexia, physical or motor disabilities, or are on the autism spectrum.
Richmond-based rapper, Ant The Symbol, released his new album Ant Hasn’t Heard Of You, Either, which oozes introspection within a steady flow of thoughtful rhymes.
A highlight of the album is the song “Protect Your Peace,” where Ant unloads some severe emotional baggage while demonstrating how he has persevered because of his ambition to live a full life. It seems like the lyrics may have been written in response to a specific person.
As he specifically references the murder of his pops and sister early in the song, he also points out that “we come from the same streets” but “we are not the same” as a testament to a specific person from the same area who was not able to overcome similar challenges.
As the song continues, there is a recurring phrase in the chorus where Ant The Symbol bemoans the endless capitalist lifestyle: “Every job that I get making decent cake / Every day I’m doing shit I hate.” Ant The Symbol is keenly aware of the systems that keep people locked in place, but he keeps pushing through by repeatedly focusing on his growing family and the loved ones who continuously support him in moving through the capitalist machine with an emphasis on thriving over surviving.
At the end of the day, “Protect Your Peace” is about Ant being able to cut the unnecessary baggage loose that has been holding him down and focusing on the things he truly cares about.
“Protect Your Peace” and Ant Hasn’t Heard Of You, Either are both available on major streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.
Follow our Alchemical Weekly Spotify Playlist for this and more great music featured on the site.
Charlie Maybee is a dancer, musician, educator, and writer based in Charleston, South Carolina who currently teaches with the Dance Program at the College of Charleston. His primary work as an artist is with his performing collective, Polymath Performance Project, through which he makes interdisciplinary performance art that centers tap dance as the primary medium of expression and research. He also currently plays rhythm guitar for the Charleston-based punk band, Anergy, and releases music as a solo artist under the name Nox Eterna.
Recent Articles Aria Velz is a director, TikToker, and Lesbian Media Enthusiast based in the D.C. area. On November 2nd, she sat down with me
More to Watch D.C. locals Dot Dash compile 16 of the band’s best tracks, and re-releases them with Country Mile Records. Terry Banks (lead vocalist
Queer duo Witch Weather discuss new album and the influence of the DMV on their sound.
Philadelphia-based queer punks Witch Weather have a message for anyone who feels hopeless and worthless: you are not alone. With an irresistible sound that draws from 80’s goth and lo-fi grunge, the indie duo wears their heart on their sleeve, giving voice to complex emotions that many would opt to suppress in the recesses of their minds.
Join Alchemical Records as they connect with Witch Weather to discuss the band’s new self-titled album, their search for a sense of belonging as members of the queer community, the important element that keeps the duo’s creative bond strong, and the influence of the DMV on their sound.
Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.