can't say cats are sleeping just yet, some might have not digested or even heard this yet, I just hope it's not mistaken for some appetizer or unofficial mixtape, this is an exceptional body of work.
Every feature was utilized correctly from KRS on that high energy boom bap to OC over that soulful flute sample to Bun B on some beautiful country rap tune shyt and the list goes on.
A few thoughts and fav lines on the album :
And Then: Top notch audio-biography type track, loving the stories on this, the daylyt esque bar at the end is hilarious, a few tracks in he references him again (oooo that's nuts nikka
)
Bardom: couldn't ask for more from a KRS/Ras collab
"He'll let a rapper get real high before he drops em" is classic KRS along with that acronym he spit
"And gambling spots with big l that's Bardom, so why he only certified gold in post Mortem?" might be my fav line on this track also the PUN story followed by "I can't make this shyt up, you got ghostwriters dog who can't make this shyt up" was slick as hell
Bishop: 1st of all this beat is fire (Ohio players sample if I'm not mistaken), opening lines and the whole 2nd verse are sick but my fav line here is that vintage lighthearted Rassy ish
"I bet you haters ima come up with something, masterbators on escalators" possibly a nod to the Alkaholics "like a freak in an elevator ima fukk you up"
Constant Elevation : you claiming you the man but got manikin nuts, smooth as ken doll we stay on tilt like pinball
Trade Places: one of my absolute favorites at the moment, shyt is so RAW and unfiltered, 1st time hearing
"Or worse you in a culture where virginity's a must
To prevent intercourse they sewed your dikk to your nuts
Where sex is punishable by death boss
Instead of female circumcision they cut little boys dikkheads off
shyt
Now how would you feel ?
We live in a world with no compassion it so illlll"
My reaction was a mix of
Hood On Ice: after the last lines on Trade places addressing police acting like the gestapo the transition into this track is perfect, whole track is quotable especially the 1st verse
Lose it all: smooth track all around, Bun B sounds great on this, beat is chill as fuk
WWJD + the Jesus skit: the skits and audio bites on this LP are all dope/hilarious and serve a purpose
As for the track, ethereal beat, dope lyrics with a lot of dope (mostly religious) metaphors on the 1st verse
Extraordinary Vets :
Davy Jones skeleton, dipped in melanin
Spit meth Medicine, make men menstrate they estrogen
The veteran freshman
Black power like Malcolm X joining the X-men
Exorcist make your neck spin
When I light up the mic like Thomas Edison, Ugh
Don't make me catch a homi boy
Tommy gun pointed at three dancers like tommy boy
PayPal the feature: R.I.P Sean P, track is dope and really fits Steele P and Ras
Kanye Moment:
"Don't Talk To Me at. All and don't talk to anyone I know AT ALL and tell everybody NEVER talk to ANYONE
Downward Spiral: Dope posse cut, hard beat and they all came correct
When I spit it's almost like aiming guns at fools
Don't place your rap career on that gurney
I kill a mic like run the jewels
I kill a mic like Conrad Murray
Greazy: nice track but that AFRO feature is easily my LEAST favorite on the whole album
Promise land: overall a dope track but this beat is kinda generic honestly
Beautiful Mind: Great track with a real positive vibe, R.I.P Prince
Reverse Engineering: probably the best posse cut on the album, Ras, Torae and OC all killed it
In The Moment: Very fitting he gave Ab soul a cosign on this cause it's definitely on some hippy shyt, cool mellow track, shyt sounds like he's rappin around a campfire
Goodbye: This imo is another instance of Ras paying respect to Sean P by reusing the sample from drink Irish (along with numerous P samples, the skit and feature etc.)
2nd verse Ras is spitting fire at them backstabbers
Sycamore Tree : Some of the realest lyrics on the whole album right here
.. Ain't no christians in the Bible Belt
It's full of racists who want America all by themselves
They talk about family values, the 'good ole days'
The 1950s when you colored people knew your place, BOY
What you doing to your face Boy ?
Plastic surgery can't change your race GIRL
In a world of hate you just hate yourself more
Cause Rupert Murdoch and FOX gone start the race war
Viral and
Intellectual Property are both dope but that's enough, I'm getting real NERDY up in here