Third preview of 1783, the forthcoming album from Aquakultre. Make That Change is another hard-hitting song from the Halifax Nova Scotia singer/ composer/ rapper, with lyrics that seek to cut through intra-community violence.
THE ISSUES PERSIST
In case you haven’t heard – or in case the message hasn’t yet sunk in, let me reiterate. Halifax Nova Scotia singer/ composer/ rapper Aquakultre (aka Lance Sampson) will be releasing his 3rd album, 1783, on 6th February. That’s very soon…
1783 is shaping up to be something very special, if the preview singles that we’ve heard so far are anything to go by. Lead single, the soulful What Are You Sayin’ blew us away, before, in November ’25, Aquakultre went one better with the phenomenal Gallows, a shot of R&B that commemorated the wrongful conviction and execution his great-great grandfather, Daniel P Sampson. Daniel’s treatment was an example of the systematic anti-black racism in Canada’s legal system of the day. And, sadly, Aquakultre uses his new single, Make That Change, to demonstrate that the inequalities prevalent almost 100 years ago are still with us.
A PLEA TO GET BACK TO CONNECTION AND COMMUNITY
This time around,. Aquakultre’s focus is the intra-community violence that pervades certain neighborhoods of his home city. Aquakultre elucidates: “There was always a tension between The Square and Mulgrave Park, which are both predominantly Black – and between East Preston and North Preston. As the younger generation, I feel like we were at a loss. Even now, I’m one degree separated from what happens on the street and who’s been affected by it. I shifted my stance over the years, trying to question what it means to be silent on this stuff. When are we going to stop turning a blind eye to things? This song is a question particularly posed to Black men of my generation. It’s an optimistic plead for us to start thinking about the violence in our communities and how generational trauma ios catching up to us, how we are reacting to each other without lova and connection. It’s a plea to get back to connection and community.”
And, as a plea, it’s a mighty powerful one.
A BITTERSWEET AFFAIR
The track is a bittersweet affair. Aquakultre raps his hard-hitting lyrics: “These prison sentances left me with visible scars. Not physically, but mentally missing a point…” and seems to become more and more agitated, the longer his thoughts persist. Until, a realisation seems to dawn and his tone – and his lyrics suddenly become more conciliatory and his words turn towards resolution, rather than perpetuation of the violence. Unity, healing, family, brotherhood and sharing replace anger and armed posturing as his focus.
The sweetness is supplied by Aquakultre’s guest, the Juno Award-winning soprano, Measha Brueggergosman-Lee, whose contribution adds a choirlike quality, particularly to the song’s “…Make that change…” chorus. And the instrumental backing is equally sweet – smooth and bass-rich, with a jazzy feel that reminds me of Zappa in one of his more mellow moods.
The album, 1783, will be with us in a matter of days. I, for one, have already started counting down…
Watch the video to Make That Change below:
Aquakulture: Facebook