It’s 2015 and KRS-One is still putting out albums. Why not? The MC still has a lot to say and he’s still dope enough to make me want to hear it. Listen to the Intro. Even at 50 years old, he’s above your average rapper. He’s below average when it comes to the breaks; making the melody of the hook the same as the beat is almost always a wack idea; and that’s why he hasn’t made a satisfactory album since the one he named after himself twenty years ago, but hip-hop fans should Hear This.
I’m not saying it’s good; he’ll probably never make another album that’s anything better than decent; but the verses, spit atop rugged boom-bap beats, are worth a listen. American Flag, for example, has The Teacha at the front of a History class, giving an Edutainment-style lecture on homeland racism. Invaders, a surprisingly catchy reggae tune, exposes the hypocrisy of US immigration laws. Conceptually all that’s missing from this album is a crime story and a “fresh” for 2015 shout.
my rating : 3 of 5
2015