THE MAKING OF GOD HAS NOTHING TO DO
WITH THIS LEAVE HIM OUT OF IT How rapper / producer Backxwash & engineer Will Owen Bennett crafted the Polaris Music Prize-winning album from a two-bedroom apartment
By Michael Raine
Since its inception in 2006 , the Polaris Music Prize has largely lived up to its goal of rewarding the best Canadian album of the year based on artistic merit without regard to genre , sales history , or label affiliation . It has gone to famed artists like Arcade Fire , Feist , and Buffy Sainte-Marie , as well as under-the-radar indie artists like Kaytranada , Lido Pimienta , Jeremy Dutcher , and Godspeed You ! Black Emperor . Nonetheless , it ’ s satisfying to see an artist like Backxwash ( a . k . a . Ashanti Mutinta ) receive such prestigious recognition . There are few , if any , artists like her at the moment .
On the album God Has Nothing to Do with This Leave Him Out of It , the Zambia-born , Montreal-based rapper and producer explores her experience as a transgender woman challenging the confines of her religious upbringing . She tackles subjects of faith and identity both powerfully and succinctly with a blend of rhythmic and aggressive vocals , banging beats , and heavy metal samples ( including Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin ). The overall combination is done so masterfully she found a home in both the metal and rap communities , which may be a first ( except for maybe Ice-T ). Metal Hammer hailed it as “ the most important album of 2020 ,” while Exclaim !’ s rave review said the album “ turned hip-hop on its head ” and the magazine later named it the best album of the year .
Incredibly for a record that won Canada ’ s most prestigious music prize , the album is a completely DIY affair . For it , Mutinta co-produced alongside producer / engineer Will Owen Bennett and they recorded it in the latter ’ s little Montreal apartment . To find out how they made this masterpiece , Canadian Musician got Mutinta together with Bennett over Zoom to hear the story behind the making of God Has
Nothing to Do with This Leave Him Out of It .
Because of licensing issues with some of the high-profile samples , God Has Nothing to Do with This Leave Him Out of It is not available on the subscription streaming services or iTunes . But you can stream or download it for free at backxwash . bandcamp . com .
CM : How did the two of you first connect ?
Will Owen Bennett : Ashanti came by my studio to be featured on another rapper ’ s track a while back , and then she hit me up to do the Deviancy record last year . So , we did that record and it was released pretty much exactly a year before God Has Nothing to Do with This .
ASHANTI MUTINTA ( A . K . A . BACKXWASH ) & WILL OWEN BENNETT
CM : Ashanti , what made you come back to Will for this album ?
Backxwash ( Ashanti Mutinta ): For one , I just have to make sure that wherever I ’ m recording , I feel comfortable . I feel very comfortable in Will ’ s apartment . As well , Will ’ s ear is just on another level . You know , he ’ ll hear things that you don ’ t even recognize in the composition . I feel like some other people don ’ t really know how to mix from a hip-hop or heavy music mindset . You know , they ’ ll end up turning a lot of things really down . Will listens to hip-hop and heavier music and he knows how to keep the sound and momentum going . It ’ s just incredible .
CM : Will , what was your experience working in rap and / or metal prior to working with Ashanti ? And how was it for you blending these two sonic cultures ?
PHOTO : MECHANT VAPORWAVE /@ MECHANT _ VAPORWAVE
38 CANADIAN MUSICIAN