The series speaks to a litany of issues that continue to plague our collective experiences: slavery in America via the prison industrial complex, food insecurity, xenophobia, immigration, climate change, sexual orientation, gender equality, fascism and the return of the demagogue.

This release, the first in a trilogy commemorating the centenary of the first jazz recordings, presents Scott centre stage, his tone burnished by tradition, playing with only the future in mind.

Instead, Scott’s glistening tone is set against trap music — the southern style of hip-hop with spare beats and cavernous bass — plus African drumming and electronica.

In this world wherein economic inequality has come to define our everyday life and politics, music previously associated with select social constructs now has the umph and presence of Hip Hop.

In his review Jason P. Woodbury wrote, "Ruler Rebel finds Scott’s “stretch music”—a blend of bop, trap, R&B, and electronic soul—more nuanced than ever.