Dear Hip Hop artists, I’m not dead. I’ve been listening to hip hop all my life. Heck, I’m not even forty yet. Don’t ever call the style of music I love ‘outdated’ or old. You offend me. You are not that far from my age young buck–I’m ranting again. Scratch all that. I should be happy. As long as cats like Knaladeus put albums like this one out, I’m good.
I was on twitter once and I saw someone criticize an album for being too “90s” . What does that mean? As good as modern day hip hop can be, something has been lost. Maybe its the mellowed out snares and bass drums, the essence of those headnoddable beats that defined the genre at one time. There’s an art in riding a boom bap styled beat lyrically. A lot of today’s cleaner sounding synth heavy beats don’t leave a lot of room for cadence variation and wordplay. Also it seems a majority of modern sound has its roots more in MC Hammer, 2 live Crew, and 95 south vs The Pharcyde, Tribe, or Gangstarr. I guess that’s cool. But every now and then an artist taps into that wonderful boom bap sound. Knaladeus provides us in this soundscape a modern day version of that aesthetic.
Knaladeus makes no bones about paying homage to the founders of this music. This album features a couple excerpts from Grandmaster flash about the foundations of Hip Hop. The production on the album is handled mainly by a producer named Nu Vintage a name which aptly describes the style of beats. Knaladeus himself and a producer named Raiden handle the rest. There are only a couple guest spots on this album but they are of the highest caliber. JusThoughtz (when’s your LP coming out bro?!?!) and Knaladeus go back and forth about the trials that helped from their emcee personas on Memoirs of an Emcee. EonsD brings the hardest rhymes I’ve heard him spit to date on Thought Cents. A track where they hold rappers who slang meaningless raps accountable. Knaladeus covers all the typical topics,on this album, growing up in the hood, the perils of street life, fatherlessness and the CHH prerequisite “I love my wifey track” (Mishlei 31). I guess if there is a shortcoming of this album, its the predictability of some of the subject matter, but I don’t mind that at all. In terms of skills on the mic, Knaladeus exhibits great breath control, and word play. He can ride a hardcore boom bap beat as well as a bouncy almost r&b-ish track equally well. Overall this is one of my favorite albums this year, and one which I think you will really enjoy.
Categorical Ratings Breakdown:
Originality/Creativity: 4/5
Lyrics/ Delivery: 3.5/5
Beat Selection/production: 3.5/5
Concept/Arrangement: 3.5/5
