sunezBy SUNEZ
After last year’s Grief Pedigree LP was the top album of Premiere Hip Hop’s The Real of 2012 list, he begins his return now with The Night’s Gambit. KA has clearly defined a sound of pensive groove for the poverty stricken and the grimy hustle that fosters sincere intentions and horrid regrets through lyric narration of dynamically clever lines and insightful visuals.
With “Our Father,” the crate selection continues to increase extracting the grit break out of a Roots Reggae tempo and extending the Brownsville, Medina narrative. Verses that work to justify a prayer of impending vengeance calmly prepping destruction, “Pardon leech/I’m hard to reach/by design/streets are crime/define treats in my mind…” The flow KA possesses is becoming more fluid letting his words lace together as his internal rhyme schemes and dexterity to deliver them is increasing. As subtle as a modal Jazz classic, you can hear him lace his words as he ends these bars…”This wizardry/ delivered me/ the flyest flute/What I summon/ have ’em dumbin’/ like a cauldron of some eye of newt/Was a young esquire/ in bum attire/jum supplier/Hunger/ made me gun for/ hire/Funny how they used to run from me, now/ they come admire…”
Much of the greatness of KA verses on Grief Pedigree were those last bars forcing a rewind salute. After the first verse he ends, “Now pray for the gift of breathing” while the 2nd verse ends even iller with “This attack won’t bring my man back/the pastor right/But since he popped/now my man got the drop in the afterlife..” Amazingly, KA isn’t internally rhyming here technically but his pausing and syllabic coupling shared in his conversational tone of menace recreates it sharply. “Our Father” is a powerful song that earns its rewind.
The Tracklisting for The Night’s Gambit:
1. You Know It’s About
2. Our Father
3. Jungle
4. Barring The Likeness
5. Nothing Is
6. Soapbox (feat. Roc Marci)
7. Peace Akhi
8. Knighthood
9. 30 Pieces of Silver
10. I’m Ready
11. Off The Record
12. Poor Thoughts [Bonus Track onVinyl only]
As we await The Night’s Gambit here is the PREMIERE HIP HOP Review of Grief Pedigree : https://premierehiphop.com/2012/03/24/ka-grief-pedigree/
Hip Hop DX interview by Premiere Hip Hop’s Sunez: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.19670/title.ka-explains-process-behind-grief-pedigree-state-of-emceeing-in-2012
The Premiere Hip Hop interview: https://premierehiphop.com/2012/06/12/ka-the-grief-pedigree-b-side-build/