Blaq Poet starts his album with a DJ Premier track, complaining about the state of hip hop today. That’s a little predictable for a Queensbridge guy who has been around since the late 1980s, but don’t let that stop you from checking out his new release. First of all, it’s important to support the legendary DJ Premier’s indie label, Year Round Records, because it continues to prove that good music and good production don’t depend on spending millions on studio time (a.k.a. coke and liquor).
Poet, making his first attempt at a solo album after decades of singles and a few albums with PHD and Screwball, makes old-school NY thug life music, in the tradition of Premier’s own group, Gang Starr. (In many ways, the album feels as if Premier is using Blaq Poet as a replacement muse for Guru, who has abandoned street rap for jazz.) A glimpse of the tracklisting is enough to give you a sense of the lyrical content; it includes songs like “U Phucc’D Up,” “Ain’t Nuttin’ Changed,” “Hood Crazy,” and my personal favorite, “Stretch Marks And Cigarette Burns.” In addition, it’s got an appearance by N.OR.E., and additional production work by Gemcrates. If you dig Gang Starr, 2Pac, the Boom Bap, and that ‘90s sound, this is a worthwhile investment.
