Labtekwon - Avant God (Ankh Ba Records/Morphius Urban)

Morphius sent me a copy of this last year, after I wrote a post about the album before it, The Ghetto Dai Lai Llama: African Rhythm American Blues. But for some reason the Morphius still says "coming soon" and doesn't seem to be taking orders for it yet, but it's been out for a while. Other sites are selling it, if you just Google the album, it's easy to find. Labtekwon is a really prolific guy so I should finally write about this album before his next one comes out. I've heard a little about the album he's working on right now with DJ Booman that's gonna have a Baltimore club flavor, I'm looking forward to that.

Lab starts out the album real confrontational on the intro, saying "The following album was done in response to the wackness. The wack so-called underground white kids from the suburbs, the cornball black kids tryin' to act bling bling. All of you...suck" (although, does anyone even say "bling bling" anymore?). Labtekwon has always set himself apart from most other Bmore rappers with his abstract style and Afrocentric politics, but he's also had some choice words for the whole system that most MCs are trying get shine through. But I'd like to think that he's taken notice of the grassroots, live-show-based hip hop scene that's been thriving in the city over the past year, which is why I think it's cool to see that he's been performing a lot lately at events like Torch-Mic Tuesdays and Old School Mondays. His music is still pretty different from anything anyone else around here is doing, but I like to hear all the different sides of Baltimore hip hop, not just the people on 92Q and the people tryin' to be as gutter as possible.

Labtekwon - "Dr. Strangelove" (mp3)
Most of the beats on Lab's records are kinda weird and herky jerky, but now and then, there's a surprise, like when he suddenly starts flowing over the Lyn Collins break that's the backbone of Bossman's "Oh" and a thousand Baltimore club joints.

Labtekwon - "Yakub 2001" (mp3)
This is one of a handful of tracks on the album with a live rhythm section and horns backing Lab, who also plays piano on the track. It's really almost more of an R&B vamp, with him talking more than rapping, speaking on some real honest, thought-provoking stuff. But really the beats on the album are so loose and jazz-influenced that the live instrument tracks kinda fit right in.

Labels: Labtekwon, mixtape/album review, mp3