McKinley Dixon – Magic, Alive

There’s something genuinely nerve-wracking about waiting for a new album from an artist who’s already soundtracked some of my most critical moments. McKinley Dixon’s “Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?” had become one of those records I couldn’t separate from my own experience. This kind gets woven into your mythology until every track carries the weight of whatever you were going through when you first heard it. So when “Magic, Alive!” was announced, I was caught between excitement and dread, wondering if lightning could strike twice.

It turns out I was worrying about the wrong thing entirely. Rather than trying to recreate what worked before, Dixon has crafted something that feels like a natural evolution—more ambitious, polished, and emotionally direct. The concept centers on three children grappling with their friend’s death, exploring every possible avenue to bring him back or at least reconnect with him.

What immediately strikes you is how the album sounds. Dixon’s assembled what amounts to a full band rather than working with traditional hip-hop production, and the difference is startling. Live drums breathe with human timing, saxophone lines weave through tracks spontaneously, and string arrangements swell and recede like conversations between musicians. It’s jazz rap that earns both halves of that description, creating space for improvisation while maintaining the rhythmic precision that makes great hip-hop work.

The sequencing here is masterful. These eleven tracks across 35 minutes never feel rushed but also never overstay their welcome. Each song establishes its own identity while contributing to the larger narrative arc. “Sugar Water” early on sets up the album’s central concerns about preserving memory and connection, with Quelle Chris and Anjimile adding layers that transform the track into something closer to a hymn. Later, “We’re Outside, Rejoice!” explodes with the kind of communal energy that makes you want to throw your hands up, even knowing the grief that underlies everything.

But it’s the moments where Dixon’s conceptual ambitions meet his technical skill that really showcase his growth. “Listen Gentle” uses sleight-of-hand magic as a metaphor for how love persists beyond loss, building to a climax that feels intellectually satisfying and emotionally devastating. The way he weaves literary references through personal narrative without ever sounding academic or distant speaks to a rare kind of artistic maturity.

The guest features work because they feel chosen rather than obligatory. ICECOLDBISHOP brings a conversational intimacy to “All the Loved Ones” that grounds the track’s more abstract themes in lived experience. Teller Bank$ shows up twice and makes both appearances count, particularly during the beat switch on “Recitatif” where the production suddenly turns menacing and everyone involved rises to meet that energy. Shamir’s vocals on the closer provide the spiritual weight that transforms “Could’ve Been Different” from a good ending into a transcendent one.

His understanding that complexity doesn’t require obscurity separates Dixon from his contemporaries. His verses operate on multiple levels—you can appreciate the wordplay, follow the narrative threads, and connect with the emotional core all simultaneously.

The album’s treatment of childhood grief feels particularly sophisticated. Dixon captures something true about how young people process loss—the magical thinking, the bargaining, the refusal to accept permanent endings. The three-song finale builds to a conclusion that acknowledges both the reality of death and the possibility of transcendence through memory and art.

This is jazz rap operating at its highest level, proving the genre still has unexplored territory. Dixon has created something that honours his influences while establishing his distinct voice, an album that works as both emotional catharsis and musical showcase. It’s the kind of record that reminds you why you fell in love with music in the first place—ambitious but accessible, intelligent but never cold, hopeful despite its engagement with loss. Dixon remains one of the most underrated and continues to be one of the most vital voices in contemporary hip-hop.

Tracklist:

1. Watch My Hands (1:46)
2. Sugar Water (feat. Quelle Chris and Anjimile) (2:02)
3. Crooked Stick (feat. Ghais Guevara and Alfred.) (2:31)
4. Recitatif (feat. Teller Bank$) (4:02)
5. Run, Run, Run Pt. II (3:08)
6. We’re Outside, Rejoice! (4:13)
7. All the Loved Ones (What Would We Do???) (feat. ICECOLDBISHOP and Pink Siifu) (4:46)
8. F.F.O.L. (feat. Teller Bank$) (2:51)
9. Listen Gentle (4:16)
10. Magic, Alive! (2:42)
11. Could’ve Been Different (feat. Blu & Shamir) (2:51)

Total Runtime: 34 minutes, 28 seconds