by Dan O

The word is dynamic. McKinley Dixon makes music that is dynamic under the classical definition: characterized by constant change, activity, or progress (Oxford Languages). His new album Beloved! Paradise! Jazz? Exemplifies it perfectly. Nothing in Dixon’s world is static. I’m not going to lie and pretend I understood immediately how to listen to Beloved! Paradise! Jazz? I always knew the key was in Tyler, Forever. I listened to it and queued up other songs from the album behind it, in different orders. Always starting with Tyler, Forever as the beating heart and doorway. A song that roars as the horns that play to royalty kick off the track, when the beat drops fully the chorus is shot at you in 3 round bursts. His flow pushes the overdrive pedal until a minute and thirty seconds when he literally tells the song to calm down and waits as the horns change from royal entrance to snowy day in childhood. His anger crests into sadness and the roar becomes poignant “All that, all that glitters ain’t gold. You can still cobble pieces to make something that holds.” I’ve heard at least four Dixon albums, more than 3 times each, and I can tell you that if you enjoy this song the good news is that every single song he makes is complete. No rushed thoughts over half cooked beats. When Dixon steps outside he’s got it all figured out and that’s beautiful. It is that extra work to refine this song that makes us care about Tyler the way he does.