Sankofa – BLKTCHP
#AthenA #Atmosphere #BigPun #DJNavinJohnson #FortWayne #HipHopRap #KashalTee #KoolGRap #SocietyofNIMH #UndergroundHipHop #WuTang #boombap #hiphop #lyrical #scratches
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https://sankofa.bandcamp.com/album/blktchp

This album was released on June 10th in 2003. In the preamble to my redux review of God Loves Ugly, I mentioned that I was still planning on completing my Wu-Tang Clan marathon, despite the fact that it is already incredibly outdated. I haven’t updated it since last year, and I just so happened to be listening to a lot of albums from 2003, so I figured it was about time to do this album. Anyway, I enjoyed Uncontrolled Substance, but it’s obviously not as amazing of a project as we all believe he is capable of making. Sadly it’s widely regarded as the best solo album from Inspectah Deck, so I guess that means this album right here is gonna be inferior. Obviously I’m gonna be listening with an open mind, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have expectations. I’m certain that the rapping will be good, but the production and songwriting will probably be incredibly lackluster. There might be a song or two that I end up enjoying, but that’s probably about as far as things’ll go. The last four albums that I have covered in this marathon have been very mediocre, and I’m expecting this project to be a continuation of that trend.

The Intro to this album kinda sucks. The instrumental in the background is really bad. It’s exactly what I would expect if someone said something along the lines of “generic underground Hip Hop beat from the early 2000s.” Maybe that’s not harsh enough though. There are plenty of generic underground rap instrumentals from the early 2000s that are entertaining enough to an extent. There’s nothing enjoyable about this beat though. It’s ass. Deck doesn’t rap over it at all though. This entire track is just him yelling about how this album is “for the hood.” I’m not exactly sure what “the movement” is referring to. Is it just a vague album title or is it actually based on a legitimate campaign? I mean, it’s obviously the former, but I kinda wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt when I first listened to this. The closest thing we get to an explanation comes at the end of this intro in which he says “let’s take back the music.” It’s nothing more than a platitude. It would maybe make more sense if he was doing something significantly different on this record, but he’s just not. I can’t tell if I’m thinking about this too much or not thinking about it enough. If I had to guess, I’d say I’m probably spending more time trying to figure this out than Deck did coming up with the idea. Anyway, the first actual song is called City High, and it’s produced by Phantom of the Beats. The instrumental here is far superior to that of the preceding track. With that said, it’s still not particularly good to me. It’s decent though I guess. It should come as no surprise that Deck performed well on this track. He’s always been a great rapper, and this track is no different. With that said, I definitely would understand if somebody heard this song and came to the conclusion that INS is generic. The rapping is good, but certainly not unique. His vocal delivery, flow, and rhymes sound good. The lyrics are fine.

Focused, tryin' to make grands
Hammers pokin' out the waistband
In this cash race, they can't stand the pace I plan to make
Millions and marinate across town, my fam is straight
Cash rules, so naturally it had me
The temptress teasing me, I lust badly
She said, "you a professional with records sold, let it go"
And I replied, "this is the only life I'll ever know"

Whenever I hear this song all I can ask myself is “why does this exist?” Seriously, what is the point? I mean, I guess there’s nothing inherently wrong with rapping just to rap. Obviously I would prefer if he actually had something interesting or important to say, but it’s entirely possible that I would fuck with this song if the production was really good. There are things that I really like about the third verse in particular. I think his flow sounds really great during this part…

We'll stick you for your shine
Hustle, nickel for a dime
Trouble, this you're gonna find
Muscle, if you wanna grind
Struggle, digits on the mind
Couple figures for the crime
Scuffle, fists or with the nine
Bubble, living on the line

The one thing that kinda ruins it is that it ends after that last line, and it’s just followed by an awkward silence before the hook eventually comes back in. I don’t know what happened there. It kinda makes the song feel unfinished. Anyway, the hook isn’t very good, and the bridge is wack. I don’t think this song is bad though. Like I kinda said, the production is tolerable, and the rapping is good. It’s just incredibly mediocre overall. The following track is That Shit. It has another beat from Phantom of the Beats, but I will say that I think this instrumental is better. It’s still not very good, but I would rather listen to it than the preceding one. As much as I love Deck as a rapper, I have to admit that I didn’t really enjoy the first verse that much. I mean, it was fine, but… I don’t know. It just didn’t hit. Nothing about it stands out. Also, the hook on this track fucking sucks. Despite everything I just said, I will say that I actually think the second verse is really dope. His flow and rhymes sounded great.

Niggas stay showin' they teeth, knowin' they weak
We supply you with the fire, son, cope with the heat
Roamin' the streets, slowin' the Jeeps, ownin' the beat
No sleep, chasin' papers, stay focused, it's deep
Keep an eye on boy, he gonna rise like the crime rate
Vibrate the tristate, I make you gyrate
Been around the world, put a house on the hill
But still greasy like the corner store grill

The third verse was solid too. I think I would appreciate this track far more if the hook wasn’t so bad. The quality of the rapping fluctuates throughout the run time of the track, but at no point is it wack. Like I said, the second verse in particular is very enjoyable to me. Unfortunately the production and hook really hold things back. This is another mid song. Things get a little better with the following track, Get Right, which has yet another instrumental from Phantom of the Beats. I actually thought the beat here was pretty solid the first time I heard it. It’s definitely the type of instrumental that gets wacker and wacker the more you listen to it though. The rapping from Deck is okay. I don’t love his flow here, but it’s not bad at all. My biggest issue with this song might be the hook. It’s far from the worst hook on this album, but it’s still arguably the worst aspect of this song. I dislike this song more and more every time I listen to it, but I’m gonna go easy on it and just say that it’s decent. It’s not something I am ever gonna be listening to again, but it’s better than everything else on this album so far. It’s followed by the title track, The Movement, which is produced by Ayatollah.

This is the first song on the album that I would say is legitimately bad. It’s mostly for the same reasons that I disliked the preceding material. The production and hook aren’t good. This hook in particular is super cheesy. It’s kinda sad because you can tell that he really wanted this track to be one of his biggest songs. I get the impression that he thought the crowds were gonna go crazy any time he performed this. It’s one of those situations where I would laugh at it if I didn’t have so much respect and admiration for Deck. However, I will say that I think the rapping on this track is pretty nice. Deck always sounds good when he raps, and this track is no exception. Musically, this one just isn’t up to snuff. I think it’s wack. Track 6 is called Who Got It, and it has another beat from Ayatollah. I really hate this instrumental, man. Particularly during the hook, which is awful. The vocal sample is way too repetitive. It just doesn’t sound good. It’s really irritating. The first verse was fine, although I do think the line where he’s like, “for papa she shake her tatas like maracas” was pretty ludicrous. The second verse was cool, but the third verse is easily the best part of the song.

I got the works like a Burger deluxe, you heard it was us
Got you all in check like Dirty and Bust'
Play dirty and rough, remain thirsty for bucks
Seein' dollar signs like today's the first of the month
Son, it hurts when I touch, flames burst off the verses I bust
Some wanna scuff, but ain't worthy enough
I'll burn you up rookie, just hang your jersey up
I'm on the east side, workin' out a Mercury truck

He did a really great job there. As much as I ended up enjoying the rapping on this track, I still disliked the song overall. The beat is just too bad in my opinion. I think the song is wack. The following track, It’s Like That, is sadly even worse. This beat from Arabian Knight is really terrible. It’s one of the worst instrumentals on the album, and that’s saying a lot honestly. It just sounds super gaudy to me. I also strongly dislike Inspectah Deck’s flow on the first verse. I think the second verse was kinda good, but it’s just really hard to enjoy when it’s delivered over such an awful instrumental. Also, the hook really sucks. There’s an uncredited appearance from DJ Kay Slay throughout this track. He’s just yelling about random shit at various points. I found his presence somewhat annoying. I see the vision though. I like what they were going for. If the song was actually good I would probably like DJ Kay Slay yelling over it. There’s one last verse to close the song out, and it’s fine. There’s not really anything that could save the song at that point though. It’s awful. Track 8 is called Shorty Right There, and it has a feature from Streetlife. I actually don’t think this one is that bad. The beat from Ayatollah is actually pretty solid. It’s definitely one of the best on the album to me. The main thing that holds this track back for me is just the content. I have no interest in hearing Streetlife & Deck rap about how they are experiencing urges to cheat on their significant others with attractive women that they encounter on a daily basis. That type of content just does not appeal to me.

It's a man's world, baby girl, don't forget it
But what's a thug without his ladybug, I must respect it
I know a woman's worth, ladies come first
I'm the sun, you're the Earth, mother of the universe
I know what you like, you go for the street type
Who keep it G tight, and hit the G-spot right
I just might, call my wife
Tell her "baby, I'm not comin' home tonight"

I get the sense that they were intending for this song to be comedic, which I guess I can appreciate. I didn’t find it funny at first, but I have to admit that on my latest listen I laughed when the song ended. The hook is pretty silly. They just sound stupid as fuck. With all that said, I do think Streetlife sounded very good on his verse. He has a good voice and flow. The last part of the song where they’re trading couplets is funny too because it sounded like they were in a public location pointing out different women to each other that they found attractive. I think this track is okay sonically, but the lyrical content isn’t for me at all. It’s one of the better songs on the album for sure though. Track 9 is called U Wanna Be, and it’s produced by Phantom of the Beats. This is one of the worst songs on the project in my opinion. The instrumental is just really goddamn ugly, and the hook is annoying as hell. It’s a really crappy song. The sad thing is that the rapping isn’t really bad at all. It’s actually quite good in fact. Particularly the second verse.

Far from the inventor, like Notorious said
But I'm quick to pull my sword, and it's off with your head
I never was a dick rider
You never seen me try to be like that dude
Soft, plus, he wack too

The third verse is pretty nice too. I keep coming back to this phrase: I see the vision. I get what Deck was trying to do here, at least lyrically. I just don’t think he’s a very good songwriter, at least at this point in his career. As a result, we get songs like this which may have a point to make lyrically, but the execution is so off musically that I can’t even appreciate the rapping. This song is terrible. It’s followed by Framed, which features Kool G Rap & Killa Sin. This is unsurprisingly the only song on the album that I liked. Killa Sin has been one of the most fun and cool discoveries for me throughout the process of this Wu-Tang marathon. He consistently kills features every time he makes an appearance. This track is produced by Phantom of the Beats. I don’t think the instrumental is that good, but it’s sufficient. It’s definitely the most tolerable beat that they provided to this album. The opening verse from Deck is cool. It’s definitely not a standout performance from him, but it’s enjoyable enough. Inspectah Deck on autopilot is still better than a lot of rappers. The storytelling is pretty well done. I actually even like the sung hook on this track. I have no idea who the Reggae artist they hired to sing on this track is, but he did a very nice job. The second verse from Kool G Rap is of course spectacular. I think he really knocked the concept of this track out of the park. Both him and Killa Sin rap from the perspectives of people who are defending themselves in court after being framed for a serious crime. Killa Sin’s verse was excellent.

Come on, a plea bargain? For what, your honor? Nah, yo, I ain't do shit
The only thing I'm coppin' is a new whip
The night it happened, I was lampin' at a deuce flick with two chicks
Kim and Kris, we guzzle Cris' on some Rush Hour 2 shit
I knew the kid, yeah, we had problems, yeah, I robbed him
That was '98 though, and the handgun was a revolver
Tryna play me on an old case, but it hold no weight
Turned myself in, I skated on them keystone jakes

I think if I had to choose a favorite verse I would go with Kool G Rap, but Killa Sin is a close second. They both did a really awesome job here. I guess Inspectah Deck’s verse wasn’t as great as I would have expected, but I still liked it. This is a good song in my opinion. Unfortunately it’s followed by my least favorite track on the album, Bumpin’ & Grindin’. I don’t wanna spend too much time talking about why I think this song is so bad because I think it should be obvious. When I first heard this song, I sent it in my Discord server and said something along the lines of “this is the worst song I’ve ever heard in my life.” Needless to say, I was exaggerating in order to emphasize how much I dislike it. I still think it’s the worst song I’ve ever heard from Inspectah Deck, but there are obviously much worse songs out there than this from other artists. The weird, robotic “BUMPIN’, GRINDIN'” vocal motif that permeates the track is just really bizarre and I guess jarring. Sonically, this track feels like a Hip Hop version of a Powerman 5000 song. That’s a bad thing for those of you who are unfamiliar. There’s really nothing about this song that I don’t dislike to some extent. I guess his flow is fine on the verses. The subject matter and lyrics themselves are bad to me though.

Stacked in the back, that ass crazy fat
She BUMPIN', GRINDIN', makin' it clap
Baby, stop playin', why you shake it like that?
When you know how my dogs like to chase the cat
Hot lights, camera, action, packed in
Back to the front, eight cats on the blunt
The tracks gotta pump, the rats wanna thump
We strapped from the jump, got gats in the trunk

I hate the instrumental from Phantom of the Beats. It’s funny that they produced both my favorite and least favorite tracks on this album. This shit just really ain’t the style, man. It’s the type of song that could never be made today. Rather, it would never be made today. Who does a song like this appeal to in 2024? I imagine that in 2003 it wasn’t as uncommon to hear this kinda song, but if I heard something like this in the modern era I would be very confused. The production is atrocious, the hook is embarrassing, and the lyrical content is not appealing to me whatsoever. I really hate this song. I think it’s wack as fuck. Thankfully things get much more acceptable from this point forward. The next track is called Vendetta, and it’s definitely another one of the best songs on the album. This one is pretty goddamn good. At least, it’s as good as a song could possibly be while still not being enjoyable enough to keep in my library. The production from Ayatollah is actually pretty solid, and I even appreciated the hook. I think it could’ve been spiced up a bit, but it’s not a bad hook at all to me. I see what he was trying to do. It actually sounds like it would be really fun at live shows. I liked the lyrical content of this track too. However, I do think that this probably would’ve worked better as the opening track to the album.

Y'all done fucked up lettin' me live, something's gotta give
I'm positive you're gonna all pay homage
Believe me, I ain't lying down that easy
And that thought applies for those who proud to see me
Due to distraction I was wounded in action
An act of betrayal, but I knew the assassin
Now I pack a vengeance like Steven Seagal
I'm back from the trenches to even the odds

The second verse is even better. It started a little slow, but by the time he was finished with that verse I was thoroughly satisfied.

Roll with the live dozen, got all eyes buzzing
With strong rhymes, cousin, been a long time coming
Break your weak links, in the chain
Fuck your mink and your reign
Son is lame, plus he thinks it's a game, but
We about to apply the heat
And snatch him up out the driver's seat
I put my life on it, post up like who want it
Blast off with the force to send y'all in orbit
Wild like whiteys in the mosh pit, yeah, we gon' start shit
Pack 'em down then corner the market

The third verse was probably my least favorite out of the three on this song, but it wasn’t bad. Maybe just a little underwhelming. Anyway, like I basically said, this song is nowhere near wack to me. It has pretty much zero replay value for me, so I won’t be returning to it, but I enjoyed it to some extent. I think if the production was vastly improved then I would really like this song. It’s just decent to me as it is though. The following track is called The Stereotype, and it’s the last song on the album that I would say is actually bad. I really don’t like this beat from Ayatollah. It’s really crappy. To be fair, the percussion does at least sound pretty good. I appreciate how uptempo this track is. Lyrically, this song is heavily inspired by classic blaxploitation films, hence the title. The first verse isn’t great. I don’t know if I can say it’s bad, but it’s definitely not something I enjoyed. I think I would probably think it was okay if not for one line that sticks out in a really weird way…

Young black nigga, 'bout to come back bigger
Rap action figure that's strapped with the spitter
I serve mankind like a super hero
Gonna move the people with sharp darts to the ear hole
Air Terra spin, veteran style, ghetto child
Call his name, hear it echo for miles
Check my files before you get wild, reconcile
Trust, I touch kids, but I'm no pedophile

What made him go with that verse???? The first time I heard that line, a resounding “AYOOOO” erupted out of me like never before. I mean, I get what he’s saying, and it does make sense. It’s still weird to say though. Not everything you think needs to be said out loud. That line was absolutely not essential, so I would’ve left it off. However, the main reason that I think this song is bad is just because of the hook. The singing on this hook is so bad. Even if the vocal performance was technically impressive, the melody itself just isn’t very enjoyable. The one positive thing I can say about this track is that I actually think the second verse is relatively good. I don’t really care for the lyrics that much, but the rhymes and flow sounded great. I guess that’s all true for the final verse as well, albeit to a lesser degree. The following track is called That Nigga, and it’s another one of the best songs on the album to me. This one’s pretty cool. I think if the beat was even just a little better I would fuck with this song more. Ayatollah still provided one of the best instrumentals on the record here though. This song is pretty enjoyable. It just doesn’t really have replay value for me. I would never have the desire to listen to this again, but it’s cool while it’s on. I even like the hook on this track. That really might be the best hook on the whole album lowkey. Deck sounds really good on the first verse, and the second verse is even better. I also appreciated how they kinda stripped back the instrumental for the first part of the third verse. That was a cool detail that I noticed. Overall, it’s a very solid track. The penultimate song is called Big City, and it’s produced by Phantom of the Beats. Unfortunately the beat here is really goddamn bad, but the rapping is thankfully pretty nice. As far as content goes, he’s spitting about the harsh conditions of the big city.

It's the home of the brave, the zone of the slave
We all want it, but gettin' it's a whole 'nother page
The young guns wantin' respect, flossin' the tech
Bitches wanna strip now, it's all for the check
Yo, everyday, lives at stake, pies to bake
Same knife that cuts your throat divides the cake
For the hustlers, thugs who scheme to survive
And all in between, scream "fuck a 9 to 5"

I even think the hook on this track is okay. It’s nowhere near as good as the one on the preceding track, but it’s still tolerable. Pretty much every verse on this track is nice to me. I just really hate the instrumental. The production is so bad that it almost makes me wanna call the song wack, but I won’t go that far. It’s just mediocre to me overall. The closing track is called Cradle to the Grave, and I basically feel the same way about this one. The production from Falling Down is definitely not as bad, but it’s still not very good to me. I also dislike the sung hook on this track from Mojehan. The one aspect of this track that I like to some extent is Deck himself. The lyrical content isn’t super original or anything, but I think it’s well done. The song’s basically a message to his deceased homie. The second verse—particularly the first quatrain—is definitely my favorite part.

Is Heaven any different from Hell? Is it worth the battle?
In search of Heaven I can get trapped too
Sometimes I wanna join you, take my place upstairs
But I'm not ready to leave my family in despair

It’s kinda frustrating because lyrically I actually think this is one of the most interesting songs on the album. The track just isn’t enjoyable to me sonically.

I think this album is bad. It pretty much ended up being exactly what I expected. Maybe just a little worse. Most of the instrumentals here were handled by either Ayatollah or Phantom of the Beats, and neither of them did a very good job. The quality of the production ranges from inoffensive to butt. Also, the hooks are really rough. Basically, for the most part any element that directly involves the sonic presentation of this record is severely lacking, maybe with the exceptions of the mixing and mastering. The songs just don’t sound good. I’d say about a third of the songs here are bad, and almost everything else is just mediocre. ’03 was a rough year for the Clan, and what’s scary is that I still have three more Wu-related projects to check out from then. This album was not enjoyable, but I do have to admit that I don’t hate it now quite as much as I did the first time I heard it. It definitely grew on me slightly with repeated listens, so I think that’s worth noting. The shit is still bad though. I’m not feelin’ this one sadly.

Favorite Song: Framed
Least Favorite Song: Bumpin’ & Grindin’

46

https://focushiphop.com/2024/07/06/album-review-inspectah-deck-the-movement/

#ArabianKnight #Ayatollah #DJKaySlay #FallingDown #InspectahDeck #KillaSin #KoolGRap #Mojehan #PhantomOfTheBeats #Streetlife

🔊 #NowPlaying on #KEXP's #VarietyMix

Kool G Rap & 38 Spesh feat. AZ:
🎵 Honest Truth

#KoolGRap #38Spesh #AZ

https://open.spotify.com/track/3btBWn2nFdK0IVT9UCWy0H

https://38spesh.bandcamp.com/track/honest-truth-38-spesh-az-produced-by-midnite
#Bandcamp

🔊 #NowPlaying on #KEXP's #VarietyMix

Kool G Rap & DJ Polo:
🎵 Rhymes I Express

#KoolGRap #DJPolo

https://open.spotify.com/track/1Dz8Xn8LaXHSKKOMkAVfTK

🎶 #Show #playlist 👇
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6G4PaS9BNkIuGqMo44rbfZ

🎶 #KEXP #playlist 👇
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6VNALrOa3gWbk794YuIrwg

https://vimeo.com/462279229 #oldschoolrap #koolgrap #bizmarkie

@MangoWave compared Gastronaut to @officialbizmarkie and his 2004 track Chinese Food. We’re not going to lie, this one made us do a bit of a 180, but then…

#bizmarkie #hiphop #bigdaddykane #shiphop #juicecrew #rap #ripbizmarkie #oldschoolhiphop #justafriend #marleymarl #hiphopculture #koolgrap #coldchillin #nobodybeatsthebiz #roxanneshante #hiphopmusic #classichiphop #llcoolj #mcshan #s #music #krsone #dj #coldchillinrecords #biz #boombap #oldschool #mastaace #rip #craigg

@hiphopvideos Love this! #KoolGRap is a dope lyricist and it shows on here. Personally I feel he never had enough good production behind him, apart from his early albums. There are always some absolute bangers on his albums, but some of the beats are just a bit tame. It's a shame cos he's got an incredible flow! #lyricist #hiphop #rap

Think this is one of my favourite #hiphop collaboration tracks. I believe it was released following the shooting of Amadou Diallo in 1999. The 12" contains some other great tracks as well, but this has such feeling and so many great artists eg #Common #KoolGRap #TalibKweli #PharoaheMonch. #HipHopForRespect
https://youtu.be/_J5Vto6uy0A

I’m gonna check out this brand new album just dropped today KOOL G RAP ‘Last of a Dying Breed’
Produced by Domingo

#music #KoolGRap #Domingo #LastOfADyingBreed #rap #HipHop #BlackFriday