Soundtrack To The Struggle

Soundtrack to the Struggle is the second studio album by rapper Lowkey, which was released on October 16, 2011. Four singles have been released in preparation of the album from 2009 to 2010.

The album has been in production since 2009. Songs from the album were revealed and released from 2009 to 2011. Music videos for non-single songs such as "Too Much (Feat. Shadia Mansour)", "Terrorist?" (which has gained over 1 million views on YouTube), "My Soul", "Cradle Of Civilisation (Feat. Mai Khalil)", "Blood, Sweat and Tears (feat. Klashnekoff)" and "Million Man March (Feat. Mai Khalil)". While discussing the name of the album to BBC Radio 1Xtra presenter Charlie Sloth, Lowkey said: "It comes from my position in the game is as an artist, trying to do my thing independently. It is a struggle - it's not easy. We have barriers placed in front of us at every single level. And so we have to fight for everything we get. As an artist I've never had anything put on a plate for me. I've had to struggle to put my music out there." And also added that; "it's about the widest struggle that I am part of, which what I feel is to wake people up to the humanity of people that we are sort of encouraged to ignore every day." On the subject of the album, Lowkey commented that: "The album has just got a lot of heartfelt music that is really and truly an expression of me. Say I died tomorrow, I want this album to be the last thing I say to the world and I want people to remember it and to recognize it as me. No one else."

Track 8 off the album, "Dreamers (Feat. Mai Khalil)", premiered on BBC Radio 1Xtra on September 24, 2011. Lowkey described the meaning of the song: "The track is about people with mental illness. Because I've known people that have issues with mental illnesses and is quite common. Like I say at the beginning there is people that see things that aren't there, and ask why not. Because they see further than a lot of people that are perceived as normal." Track 22, "Obama Nation Part 2 (feat. M-1 & Black The Ripper)" samples a lyric from the political hip hop song "Words I Never Said (feat. Skylar Grey)" by Lupe Fiasco, which Lowkey got permission to use via the social networking and microblogging service Twitter by Lupe.

From 2009 to 2010 three singles were released from the album. The first single, "Voices of the Voiceless (feat. Immortal Technique), was released on August 16, 2009 (Amazon) and September 21, 2009 (iTunes) for digital download. The next single, "Long Live Palestine", released on December 16, 2009 (Amazon) and January 1, 2010 (iTunes). A sequel to "Long Live Palestine" was released together with Part 1 as an EP on iTunes but Part 2 is not included on the album. "Something Wonderful", was released as the third single on February 10, 2010 (Amazon) and March 1, 2010 (iTunes) and the fourth single "Obama Nation" released on April 8, 2010 on Amazon, and was later released on iTunes in May 3, 2010.

Track listing

1. "Soundtrack to the Struggle"
2. "Too Much (feat. Shadia Mansour)"
3. "Voices of the Voiceless (feat. Immortal Technique)"
4. "Hand On Your Gun"
5. "Skit 1"
6. "Terrorist?"
7. "Something Wonderful"
8. "Dreamers (feat. Mai Khalil)"
9. "Skit 2"
10. "Obama Nation"
11. "Skit 3"
12. "Cradle of Civilisation (feat. Mai Khalil)"
13. "Skit 4"
14. "Blood, Sweat and Tears (feat. Klashnekoff)"
15. "Everything I Am"
16. "Skit 5"
17. "Long Live Palestine"
18. "We Will Rise (feat. Sanasino)"
19. "My Soul"
20. "Skit 6"
21. "The Butterfly Effect (feat. Adrian)"
22. "Obama Nation Part 2 (feat. M-1 & Black the Ripper)"
23. "Dear England (feat. Mai Khalil)"
24. "Haunted (feat. Mai Khalil)"
25. "Terrorist? Part 2 (feat. Mai Khalil & Crazy Haze)"
26. "Million Man March (feat. Mai Khalil)"