From the recording MDLXV
“Imperium” is a song about affairs that surrounded the struggle and hardships of pioneers who settled the Ancient City on Ollie Twist’s new full-length album MDLXV (1565). The layered soundscapes on this track include deep synths, ominous tremolo guitar, slick piano licks and dark melodies. The verses work as a narrative taking the listener on a play-by-play historic timeline of events complimented by powerful vocals from Jill Freisinger on the chorus. Rap with substance is back! Weaving together classic Hip-Hop storytelling foundations with diverse electronic instrumentation, MDLXV constantly pushes forward; keeping the listener engaged and intrigued every step of the way.
Lyrics
It’s time to expand, meticulously plan,
The challenges at hand exist in every strand,
Stay on course, with the nautical compass,
The oceans force of unstoppable roughness,
Waves crashing, the Captain’s reaction,
Imagine cabins packed aboard the Spanish Galleon,
Cannon ball action split your ship into fractions,
Remains of your vessel sinking deep down in fathoms,
Here comes Pedro Menendez de Aviles, the admiral,
Ruthless and masterful, executing radicals,
Your only chance to convert,
This is the naked history and I can see how it hurts,
Never forget those who suffered so we can live peacefully,
Cause in the past in never came quite so easily,
In life, justice is rarely served equally, risk lives to arrive and it’s often done illegally
We can’t fully know, what went on so long ago, (Imperium)
A profound a great divide, brutality would not subside, (Imperium)
The truth is always present but it often hides,
History does not repeat itself but often rhymes,
And often times, they found it hard to bring dreams to life,
Under the rules of the kings and queens,
Pirates raid the city, confiscate goods in kilos,
Images etched on the walls of the Castillo,
Freedom was the goal if there was only one prize,
With the right supplies, at sunrise – the guns rise,
Capture any privateers that’s after supplies,
No compromise, sometimes arrive in disguise,
Centralize defenses to avoid potential harm,
Smoke rises off the mortars beneath the coat of arms,
Protect the headquarters, interrogate the explorers,
Avoid being cornered, supporters are facing horror,
Use light signals communicating the messages,
Barricade the entrances, all around the premises.
We can’t fully know, what went on so long ago, (Imperium)
A profound a great divide, brutality would not subside, (Imperium)
Walking the streets today,
Honoring those who paid,
We can’t fully know, what went on so long ago
Looking down the line see the times ahead,
Enemies left dread before they up and fled,
The bloodshed widespread those who carried the swords,
Deeply imbedded on the coasts sandy shores,
A new recital, prisoners clenching their Bibles,
Disciples the cycle of war, it’s never final,
Birthplace of conflict, now a city of peace,
Based on sacrifices of the long deceased,
Historical accounts, were often regulated,
To make sure those in power were celebrated,
Motivated by fear, segregated by lies,
Fabricated propaganda intercepted by spies,
Hard to determine the foes from allies,
Overtime relations of nations would normalize,
Specific directions, foreign policy connections,
Allowed the landscape to be divided into sections
We can’t fully know, what went on so long ago, (Imperium)
A profound a great divide, brutality would not subside, (Imperium)
Walking the streets today,
Honoring those who paid, (Imperium)
We can’t fully know, what went on so long ago