EP Review: Ozulé’s Resist! – A Soundtrack for Revolution and Reckoning

Ozulé’s latest project isn’t just an EP—it’s a pre-apocalyptic transmission, a call to consciousness, and a battle cry wrapped in synths, basslines, and unrelenting lyricism. From the first track to the last, the record pulses with urgency, channeling the tension of a world at a tipping point while refusing to succumb to despair.

It all ignites with Burnin’ Toxic, a garage punk-meets-breakbeat hip-hop explosion that sets the stakes: ecological collapse, unchecked corporate greed, and the widening gap between those who see the fire and those who look away. That dissonance—between truth and denial, action and apathy—carries through the EP’s sonic and thematic core. Still Here turns inward, grappling with the fragility of survival in an era of uncertainty, while Rocketship finds Ozulé at a crossroads, weighing whether to escape or stand and fight.

Then, the descent into control and resistance begins. Puppet Master tightens the strings with an eerie, theatrical build, revealing the mechanisms of manipulation before unleashing a full-scale reckoning. By the time Red Blooded kicks in, the collective has taken the streets, and there’s no turning back. With its infectious pulse and anthemic call to action, it’s the EP’s heart—the moment where defiance crystallizes into movement.

But the true triumph is in its ending. Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us lifts its head toward the horizon, delivering an Afrofuturist victory lap that acknowledges the struggle while reveling in the unbreakable spirit of those who dare to fight for more. The bass knocks like a war drum, the lyrics shine like prophecy, and Ozulé makes one thing clear: the future belongs to those who refuse to be stopped.

Verdict: A masterclass in storytelling through sound, Resist! is a resistance piece, a reckoning, and a rallying cry all at once.

Resist! EP is available exclusively on Bandcamp for streaming and purchase: https://ozul3.bandcamp.com/album/resist

Now, let’s take you through each song, track by track:

Song Review: Ozulé’s Burnin’ Toxic Is a High-Octane Clash of Urgency and Denial

Ozulé isn’t here to ease you in—Burnin’ Toxic kicks off like a revving engine, launching straight into a world on the verge of collapse. Blending garage punk’s raucous energy with breakbeat hip-hop’s relentless churn, the lead single from Resist! is a pulse-pounding ride through climate anxiety, corporate greed, and willful ignorance.

The song’s structure is as gripping as its subject matter. Ozulé voices two characters locked in a battle of perspective: one panicked by the rising temperature—both literal and metaphorical—the other stubbornly oblivious, spewing streams of denials. The contrast isn’t just thematic; it’s embedded in the performance itself, with Ozulé shifting between a incredulous mezzo-soprano and a nonchalant tenor. The result? A volatile call-and-response that plays out like a musical tug-of-war, where the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Sonically, Burnin’ Toxic is as relentless as its message. The beat grinds forward like a machine refusing to shut down, while a distorted bassline rumbles underneath, creating a sense of impending doom. And just when you think the track might let up, the engine roars again—an unsettling reminder that this crisis isn’t on pause.

As the first glimpse into Resist!, Burnin’ Toxic sets the tone for what’s to come: a world teetering between action and catastrophe. It’s urgent. It’s exhilarating. And it demands an answer—will we slam the brakes, or crash headlong into disaster?

Song Review: Ozulé’s Still Here Is a Gritty, Grief-Stricken Battle Cry

If Burnin’ Toxic was the ignition, Still Here is the aftermath—the moment when the adrenaline fades, leaving only raw survival in its wake. A searing fusion of electronic and hardcore synthpop, Ozulé’s second track on Resist! plunges headfirst into uncertainty, grief, and the fragile thread tethering us to life itself.

“We know it’s not certain, we’ll breathe again, we’ll breathe again.” The haunting refrain carries a chilling double meaning, lingering in the air like a held breath. Written in the throes of 2021, when COVID-19 ravaged lungs and lives alike, the track wrestles with what it means to persist in the face of relentless loss. The production mirrors that desperation—grungy drum and bass elements pound forward, unrelenting, while Ozulé’s vocals cut through with a rawness that feels less like singing and more like pleading.

But where the song could succumb to despair, it instead finds release. A warped, pitch-shifted performance heightens the sense of disorientation, yet the energy builds toward a defiant dance-break bridge—an invitation, however desperate, to shake off the weight of anguish, if only for a moment. Movement, even in mourning, is still movement.

With Still Here, Ozulé doesn’t offer easy answers—only the question that lingers long after the final synth fades: How do we keep breathing when the air feels too heavy to hold?

Song Review: Ozulé’s Rocketship Shoots for the Stars, But at What Cost?

Drifting between escape and devotion, Rocketship is Resist!’s most intimate reckoning yet. Where previous tracks thrash against the chaos of a crumbling world, this one lingers in the quiet ache of choice: Do we stay and fight, or do we leave it all behind?

Ozulé’s signature blend of crooning melodic rap and cosmic cloud production gives Rocketship an otherworldly glow—twinkling synths and dazzling sound effects stretch across the mix like stardust, while a weighty bassline keeps everything tethered to reality. The vocal delivery is solitary, almost abandoned, switching between a pensive lower-register rap and soaring high melodies. The absence of a second voice leaves a question hanging in space: What will the person on the other end of this plea decide?

The song itself mirrors its central conflict. Its structure loops back to where it began, orbiting the same impossible dilemma: is flight an act of survival or surrender? It’s a time-sensitive decision, one that pulses beneath the moderate tempo like a countdown clock.

More than just a love song or an escape anthem, Rocketship captures the crossroads of crisis and connection, where revolution isn’t just about the world—it’s about who we hold onto in the wreckage. And as the final notes fade into the void, Ozulé leaves us with the real question: What’s worth staying for?

Song Review: Ozulé’s Puppet Pulls the Strings of Dissent

If Burnin’ Toxic was the ignition and Still Here the reckoning, Puppet Master is where the illusion shatters—and the audience refuses to play along.

A fusion of eerie rock and sharp-edged hip-hop, the track unfolds like a theatrical confrontation. Its pacing is slow and deliberate, each verse tightening the noose as ghostly wails swirl in the background, whispering warnings from the shadows of those who saw the truth too late. The tension finally snaps as a gnarly, cutting guitar solo tears through the fabric of the song, a moment of sheer, electrified release.

“These acts are outrageous / Our silence won’t save us,” Ozulé intones, voice shifting from observer to instigator. The slow-burn delivery gives way to full-scale upheaval, the once-passive crowd now rising against the unseen hands pulling their strings. The song’s three-act structure mirrors the movement of a play—exposition, revelation, and a final plea to those still bound to the system. It’s a call to those still tethered—those dancing to unseen hands, unaware of the strings pulling them toward destruction.

Theatre and revolution collide in Puppet Master. With its theatrical flair and operatic intensity, Puppet Master doesn’t just expose control—it dares us to sever the ties. And as the final echoes fade, the lingering question remains: Will you take back your power, or will you keep dancing to someone else’s tune?

Song Review: Ozulé’s Red Blooded Sparks a Movement

If Puppet Master was the call to wake up, Red Blooded is the rallying cry. This dance-pop anthem pulses with the electricity of mass resistance, merging high-energy grooves with unshakable purpose. It’s the sound of feet hitting the pavement, voices rising in unison, and a future being written in real time.

Funky basslines and shimmering synths give the track a buoyant, almost celebratory energy—a revolution that moves as much as it marches. Ozulé delivers each lyric with emphatic conviction, weaving themes of corporate accountability, collective action, and radical hope into an irresistible chorus:

“Corporate accountability / Compassionate community / Family / Building what we wanna see / Piece together a remedy.”

The song’s rhythm is an undeniable force—one part protest chant, one part roller-rink anthem, all parts movement music. It acknowledges the weight of oppression but refuses to let it dictate the future: “As outcasts we’re targets, though together we’re powerful.” It’s a declaration, an invitation, a promise.

At its core, Red Blooded isn’t just a song—it’s a moment for the movement. The soundtrack to bodies in motion, hearts on fire, and a collective ready to make good trouble. Will you step in?

Song Review: Ozulé’s Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Ends on a Triumphant High Note

After the fire of resistance in Red Blooded, Ozulé’s Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us lands like the first breath of dawn—a moment of victory, even in the face of struggle. Dripping in cloud rap’s signature dreaminess, this track floats above the wreckage, eyes set on the limitless horizon.

Producer Persian lays down a beat reminiscent of Pi’erre Bourne and Playboi Carti, where rolling basslines push forward with quiet insistence. The song’s energy is steady, yet unrelenting, a rhythm that knocks on the door to the future and refuses to be denied.

“Though we’ve seen hard times, dark times / Day be in sight / Covered by night / We learned to fly.”

There’s no naive optimism here—just an unshakable knowing. The lyrics acknowledge the weight of history but declare, without hesitation, that the future is already in motion. It’s a celebration of Black pasts and Black futures, of survival and transcendence, of shining under pressure. As Ozulé proclaims:

“When you see us, you gon’ know we the diamonds.”

Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us isn’t just an outro—it’s an affirmation. The resistance doesn’t end. The movement doesn’t falter. And the future? It’s already here.

Resist! EP is available exclusively on Bandcamp for streaming and purchase: https://ozul3.bandcamp.com/album/resist