I have enjoyed reading Miska Rantanens biography of Finnish rap legend and icon Paleface these last weeks. A hiphop pioneer that started out rappin’ in English on his first albums and then successfully switched to Finnish, which proved a masterstroke. Paleface rappin’ in Finnish is undoubtedly his best works, especially when taking a stand on social and political issues.
I have earlier in this blog reviewed his classic debut album in Finnish, Helsinki-Shangri-La, which is a great place to start if you wanna check out Paleface’s output. Not the only highlight of course, but, perhaps, the brightest shining. He is a superb lyricist and always has stressed the importance of reading to younger rappers. So unbelievably true. And Paleface lives like he preaches, with a very extensive knowledge of written sources.
This biography is very open and informative not only about the artist but also about the person Paleface, and he shares both high and low points in his life with the reader. It makes for interesting reading, but also means it is quite a long read before we touch on Paleface’s later and more current career stage. For the casual reader it can be a little overwhelming and detailed about his upbringing, but hardcore fans will be thrilled over his openness, and also about the honest recollections of darker periods in his life.
I find the read interesting and inspiring, and Paleface in person also exemplifies how you can turn the page and become an inspiration and genuine role-model to others. His experiences as educator should not be over-looked here. In Finland, hiphop-pedagogy is almost completely unknown in education and at universities, in stark contrast to it’s role in the U.S. and Sweden during the 2000’s and 2010’s. Paleface is one of very few that has brought forward how the fifth element of hiphop, learning, can be included in actual curriculums. I have for years argued for the use of hiphop pedagogy, and popular culture overall in education, and for its inclusion in curriculums and teaching, so it is good to read about Paleface’s experiences, even though the topic could have been elaborated on slightly more.
The book title, however, is Paleface - Protestilaulaja (Protest singer) and that is a well-suited title. He is a highly skilled social and political commentator with strong bottom-up perspectives and views. His heart is undoubtedly situated to the left and sinister right wing politics in Finland has long been a source of lyrical inspiration to Paleface. And it has also resulted in some very strongly pointed lyrics, backed by great beats. The versatility of Karri ”Paleface” Miettinen is also evidenced in his impressive use of traditional Finnish folk song- inspired melodies and acoustic raps. The title cut Helsinki-Shangri-La is a brilliant example of his skills as protest rapper and minimalistic soundscape creator. Equally skilled rappin’ in both English and Finnish, he still comes across stronger in Finnish, as his rhymes are edgier and there are also more pointed personal reflections on Finnish society in Finnish. However, his earlier English-language albums are certainly worth checking out, as are his collaborations with other artists.
And the versatile artist Paleface will probably continue to surprise, like performing Finnish-American First World War-era songs as part of the acoustic group Laulava Unioni. And superbly rappin’ on single Vaalirahakynytys with great Hammond-heavy instrumental jazz duo Nieminen & Litmanen. And performing with the Kamus quartet at Rauma Festivo chamber music festival. Or, as the biography reveals, one of his current (at least at the time of book release) projects to translate Swedish legendary bard Cornelis Vreswijks superb songs to Finnish. This is also expected to result in a series of concerts and recordings. Could we one day even hope for an album where Paleface performs Cornelis-lyrics to a modern hiphop beat? Paleface emphasize that he would love to do something together with Ricky-Tick Big Band and the group Julkinen Sana again. Let’s hope for that too. And his versatility also include writing in other forms than rap or music. Even a novel is not a far-fetched goal.
The last word is not yet said in the story of Paleface. Miska Rantanens biography, that leans heavily on the open-hearted information by the man himself, gives the reader a good and wide background of the story thus far. No one but Karri Miettinen will know where the story goes from here.
