Jacob Anderson, more commonly established as ‘Prof’, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter located in Minnesota, who to this date has a pleasantly sizable seven albums already under his belt and shows no signs of leaving it there. His latest single ‘Louisiana’, released October 28th 2022, was originally set to be a single review on Kaleidoscopic Melodics but following some deeper research, I soon discovered the astoundingly meaningful severity behind the number and subsequently, felt it only fitting to make it this November’s Song of the Month. Not to mention, the incredibly high number of listens I’ve made to the track throughout the past thirty days from more than just a journalistic point of view.
‘Louisiana’ is immediately captivating with an intro of an intriguingly ominous theme and it’s not long before a transformation occurs into a beatific drop with the chorus lyrics of “The moon is low and so am I, I’ll give it one more shot then it’s off to Louisiana” initiating the song’s extensive meaning. My first listen to the single had me vibing along with the melody from the start and as I absorbed the significant spoken words, I soon realised there was a poignant story behind them. It wasn’t until I watched the video, (shot by Prof himself alongside Colton Otte) that I realised just how emotional the message is. ‘Louisiana’ sheds awareness on the tragic realities of racism and the shocking violence that disturbingly often corresponds within the police force. All the whilst being in the midst of a global pandemic. It’s an astonishingly moving performance by Prof with an equally touching video to coincide, distinguishing the tune as one of Prof’s finest pieces of work thus far.
I was introduced to Prof’s music in 2019 and in the years since have only grown to appreciate him all the more, not only as my top chosen rap artist, but as one of my favourite musicians generally. As a matter of fact, between my friend’s and I we have a term of “being in a Prof loop” that has us spontaneously spouting out Prof lines at random. His charismatic and gimmicky style, in company with his humorous yet earnest lyrics, observe him as a wondrously confident and particularly endearing character. An opinion many of his dedicated fanbase appear to vocalise, with whom Prof makes great efforts in engaging with on his socials.
Prof is currently on the road with his ‘Overtime tour’ that takes him further down the Southern States of America as the dates roll on (and finger’s crossed that 2023 has Prof announcing an international tour). Alongside this, a brand new single ‘Vulnerable God’ is also in preparation for release this Friday.