Review: Kno- Death is Silent

From the blue grasses of Kentucky to the peach trees in Georgia, CunninLynguists founder Kno and company have been blazing a trail of classic southern underground since the turn of the new millennium that has allowed them to tour the globe, garner endless amounts of critical acclaim, and become household names within the hip hop community. In many circles, their first three albums– Will Rap For Food, SouthernUnderground, and A Piece of Strange– are unforgettable bodies of work. From the loose-tongued and loop-heavy debut to the cinematic hip hopera, each album shows a gradual maturation of sound and content, while Kno slowly morphs himself into a master producer. But, since hitting their peak in 2006 with the conceptual masterpiece A Piece of Strange, Kno and the CunninLynguists continue to roll with the serious and ominous tone from their most celebrated release and run it into the ground. For his debut solo album, Death is Silent, Kno collects bones and ash from the past two group projects and continues the trek through the catacombs of human emotions, this time setting up camp around the inevitability of death and its impact.

It has been awhile since Kno has appeared in front of a microphone and as the brooding bells pound beneath the drums of the opening track I was reminded why. Kno’s syrupy croak smothers the beat instead of engaging it, causing an immediate disconnect; rather than the vocals accenting the surrounding beat like Natti seamlessly does in the first verse of “If You Cry”, Kno’s vocals choke multiple layers of his productions, stripping them dry. This was an issue on numerous songs throughout the album but were saved by strong accompanying guest spots from Nemo Achida, Deacon the Villain, Tunji, and Tonedeff, as well as songs like “Loneliness” that packed enough body to cradle Kno’s odd tone. The lyrical performance on the album can be best summed up in one track, “Graveyard”, where decent wordplay and one liners went to die and reincarnate themselves into numerous cringe-inducing lines over one of Kno’s more refreshing production performances.

Despite the vocal miscues, one of hip hop’s finest producers pounding pads today has done it again. Known for his compulsive song construction and cinematic pieces, Kno provides a crisp yet foggy world full of atmospheric keys, emotional electric and acoustic guitars, haunting vocal samples, strings, woodwinds, and electronic pads that feel cold, calm, and perfectly complete like the end of a midnight storm. Unlike many other 2010 producer/rapper albums, Kno avoids haphazard song sequencing and concepts, which allow the album to unfold comfortably and spin like a complete piece of work– a true sign of a great producer and an album that is sure to grow and unveil unheard layers with repeat listens. The beauty and phantasmagoria embedded in the beats are enough to make the instrumental version of this LP one of your top albums of the year.

This marks the third straight release where the CunninLynguists have given us a healthy dose of shoe-gazing rap and the second straight release where they have attempted to transcend emotional hip hop, but have fallen short. Kno’s flirtation with becoming a true sonic savant was slightly de-railed with another waltz in the shadows; however, the tiny glimmers of fresh sounds and styles that peeked through the layers of coffin soil give all Kno fans hope for what’s on the horizon as he walks away from his own funeral and into the future.

***/5

Review: Ski Beatz- 24 Hour Karate School

I started doing album reviews again over at Potholesinmyblog. Here is my first review for Ski Beatz' 24 Hour Karate School.

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Unlike many early nineties producers, DJ Ski’s (aka Ski Beatz) timeless work is still celebrated by true school and new school fans alike. While most producers slowly fade into a pool of nostalgia, Ski is one of the few from that era that has re-invented himself, his production, and career with help from hip hop’s hottest new talent. Dame Dash’s DD172 collective and BluRoc label, anchored by the blunted breath of New Orleans MC Curren$y, has given new life to Ski. The man behind Uptown Saturday Night and numerous Jay-Z staples has returned as the wise sensei that’s been brought out of retirement to teach the young MCs old tricks of the trade. He will now mold raw talent into future champions, while learning new moves and attitudes to add to his already stellar repertoire. The first session, Pilot Talk, has proven Ski to be an honorable sensei; however, 24 Hour Karate School is the true test. Is the highly anticipated release that has been riding the vapors of Detox ready to fight the hype? Kajime!

It’s no surprise that the album begins with a Curren$y cut. He alone is the reason that many fans excused the stench of this overdue album, and their chemistry continues to swirl like Smoke DZA’s brain cells on the grand opener “Nothing But Us“. Curren$y and DZA team up to deliver their usual fried M.O. over triumphant horns and splashes of live drums, trading off verses full of blazed bravado. The one-finger-in-the-air intro is followed up by another form of Curren$y on “Go“, this time connecting with Diplomat Jim Jones over a screw face street banger with a distorted guitar sample that sounds like frantic transmissions from the ghost of Jimi Hendrix’s electric axe. Then, riding the flames of the first seven minutes, Jean Grae, Jay Electronica, and Joell Ortiz chop, kick, spit and destroy another stomping guitar riddled riddim, leaving trails of ash behind them like a Smoker’s Club tour bus. If only the rest of the album carried the same enthusiasm and synergy.

As track three awkwardly stumbles into track four, the long awaited album-turned-mix tape-turned-album begins to chip and unveil it’s true form. The odd collaboration between The Cool Kids and Brooklyn MC Stalley on “Do It Big“ sounds like a ‘we were all in the same studio one night’ experiment gone wrong. Stalley redeems himself on his solo track“S.T.A.L.L.E.Y.“, shaking the lackadaisical presence of Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglsh and letting his seamless flow slide through the guitar and organ. But the struggle to match the first three tracks continues. The underwhelming feature from DMV MC Tabi Bonney on “Not Like Me“, where Tabi repeats coded boasts over a forgettable backdrop, adds nothing to the already under seasoned mix. Not even one of the most popular young hip hop acts of the past two years could stop the slide. Wiz Khalifa slowly scales Ski’s shower of horns and altered guitar plucks scattered throughout “Scaling the Building”, but falls short of delivering a song that lives up to his regal reputation.

Harlem MC Rugz D-Bewler finally saves the day with his “Super Bad“ powers. Lightening the mood and lighting up Ski’s lone trunk rattling gem with a hypnotizing slick tongue style that gets better with every listen. But the electric energy from Rugz gets quickly squashed by another bland appearance from Tabi Bonney, which finds itself in front of a staticy Camp Lo banger that would have served as a much better follow up to “Super Bad” due to sharing the same vibe. One of the many sequencing mishaps that killed replay value and overall flow. What follows the Camp Lo closer might of been the biggest sweep of the leg. The funk’n beautiful latin spiced “Cream of the Planet“ and “Taxi“ instrumentals served as nothing but empty reminders of the broken promises and politricks that robbed this release of its biggest star, Mos Def; the MC that gave the album and recording studio its name.

24 Hour Karate School does not live up to its hype. We can blame it on time and we can blame it on politics, but what was delivered to our doorstep was not what we ordered. Ski Beatz has proven to be a viable producer in present day hip hop and his chemistry with Curren$y, Smoke DZA, Stalley, Jean Grae, Jay Electronica, Joell Ortiz and Rugz D-Bewler is obvious throughout this album, but the same cannot be said for the rest of its supporting cast that failed the rigorous tests of the dojo. The album that listens like a mixtape and gives off the same slapped together feeling does deliver a few memorable chops to the neck, but the imbalance of chemistry and overall talent threw off the synergy of the entire class. And like Mr. Miyagi said: “Better learn balance. Balance is key. Balance good, karate good. Everything good. Balance bad, better pack up, go home.”