Magic, Alive!

On 2023’s critically acclaimed <i>Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?</i>, McKinley Dixon explored his literary-minded subject matter with a highly personalized, distinctly poetic point of view. Truly, the Chicago-based rapper did so much with that half-hour effort that it should surprise no one in his fanbase that he pulls it off once more for the marginally longer <i>Magic, Alive!</i> Diving right in with the introductory “Watch My Hands,” he evokes the characteristics of a sweaty summer as a means for scene-setting in his storytelling. Family ties tighten quickly around “Run, Run, Run Pt. II” and “Sugar Water,” the latter a soul-jazz hybrid elevated by contributions from Anjimile and the eternally wry Quelle Chris. Other guests like Teller Bank$, ICECOLDBISHOP, and Pink Siifu bring their own experiences as mirrors that, once shared, amplify those held by the verbose protagonist. Towards the end, Dixon’s voice cracks and drops as the title track bursts with an energetic mix of all the preceding musical and choral elements.