Born and raised in London to English and Iraqi parents, Lowkey started putting out mixtapes in 2003 and released his first album, Dear Listener, in 2009. His bold, message-filled lyricism is impossible to ignore, as he sounds off against racism, sexism, ignorance, imperialism, corruption, corporate greed, and general abuse of power. Peppered with skits drawn from U.S. political debates and Real Time with Bill Maher, among other sources, Soundtrack to the Struggle also finds Lowkey connecting with like-minded artists like Immortal Technique ("Voice of the Voiceless"), Klashnekoff ("Blood, Sweat and Tears"), and M1 ("Obama Nation Pt. 2"). To be sure, this isn't your usual radio rap. But if you're dismayed with the direction of the world today and still love hip-hop but miss the protest-fueled messages of acts like Public Enemy, Paris, and The Coup, this is exactly what you've been waiting for.