This gathering of two government entities was the result of a HISID work-session meeting held back in August. The guests in the house were all of the elected officials for the new City of Holiday Island. These are government meetings and a work-session meeting only means there will be no votes taken on issues. Why didn't the BOC Secretary Ken Brown call roll? For the record! The Chairman Dyar announced was present and that Vice-Chairman Susanne Childers would arrive after her doctor's appointment. The Holiday Island Suburban District (HISID) board of commissioners (BOC) hosted a workshop meeting on September 13, 2021.Ĭhairman Bob Dyar called the meeting to order at 1 p.m. Over an upbeat snare bounce, she expresses pride in being a woman and pride in being Black and truly cements a strong sense of self.
What’s ultimately stunning about Access Denied is that Ray takes the pressure she’s under-some self-imposed, as on “25″, and some external, like on “Smoke”-and uses it to her advantage. “I try to redefine the hurt that made me hold my pride,” she sings on “Dark Skinned”, a perfect summation of the record.
#Holiday island suburban improvement district skin#
(“I’m the subject to their envy / Skin browner than this Henny / Ride him out like a Bentley,” she shouts.) On closer “Over You”, meanwhile, she declares to an ex, “I’m getting over you,” while on and perhaps because of the dancefloor, the song’s Diwali Riddim (specifically “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)” by Lumidee) sample suggesting a crowd behind her, supporting her every step of the way. On “Go-go Girl”, it’s Suburban Plaza giving Ray those strip club affirmations, “You earned that money, spend it.Don’t matter if they offended,” they chant before Ray’s powerful flow takes over. Best, to Ray, the dancefloor is both a place to express yourself and cathartically process things. Ray’s embrace of sexuality and womanhood comprise some of the best tracks on Access Denied, from her hilarious kiss-off of an unfaithful partner in “Lauren’s Skit” to “toxic sex” anthem “If I Die”. “You about to catch an essay,” she warns a ghosting partner on the latter, horny as hell. The title track refers to her not allowing someone to ruin her newfound sense of self-care that it starts with lo-fi chipmunked soul into synth bass before her trademark singing takes over is exemplary of Ray’s ability to conquer trends new and old. On the shuffling “Smoke”, she continues the sentiment of “BLK MADONNA”, able to do whatever she wants in music despite whatever others try to throw at her, statistical anomalies or role-based put-downs. Early single “Lovesick” is bruising in theme, Ray taking control of her own agency after leaving a bad relationship, but chill in its flow. She often sings like a rapper, occasionally in triplets, almost always over skittering beats or whipping snares.
Growing up around grime in South London but decidedly not making grime rap, she’s always taken the most powerful aspects of the genre-hard-hitting beats, sociopolitical critiques, economic braggadocio-and molded them to her own style. On Access Denied, Ray works with some of the biggest grime and R&B artists in the UK and provides a platform for up-and-comers. Like on songs from her debut mixtape Havisham and mini-albums Durt and Empress, she details not just her insecurities and desires but how she’s worked to overcome and address them, respectively, all with self-assured and effortless sounding performance. “When I was younger, wanted to be the Black Madonna on stage,” she admits on opener “BLK MADONNA”, then clarifying, “But now that I’m older I can do anything I wanna.” Being herself isn’t just bucking the trends that show little representation for Black women in the music industry-it’s succeeding on top of that. “Weave laid, getting paid, slay in my lane,” Ray declares, proclaiming, “Every time I be on stage, they go ballistic.” The British Nigerian singer-songwriter finally just released her debut studio album Access Denied, written and recorded during COVID-19 lockdown following years of self-releasing. For Ray BLK, pride and honesty go hand in hand.