“The World Is Mind”
– KRS-One –
Bandcamp
The Blastmaster himself is back with one of the hardest-hitting joints of the year. On “The World Is Mind”, KRS-One touches all the subjects that you would want him to.
Back in the late 80s, KRS-One and his group Boogie Down Productions were accused of being bad beat-pickers. Critics said KRS was one of the most incredible lyricists ever with an intense and terrifying flow that married both hip-hop and reggae cultures. But the beats, they said, were lacking. Not so on “The World Is Mind”, courtesy of producers DJ Desue, Paul Laffree, KOF, DJ Strez, Predator Prime (KRS’ son) and Mlody, who produced about half the album.
KRS shows us that he’s harder than ever in ’17.
“These critics will be amazed, they don’t know what it means, KRS still rippin’ it in twenty seventeen.”
On “Keep Clicking,” The Blastmaster celebrates the ancient South-African click language courtesy of Abelusi. He also reps for the tag community on “Out For Fame,” a track that could be a manifesto for graffiti culture. KRS-One was actually his tag back in the day.
“My Dreams,” with its soulful Aretha Franklin and swirling piano loop, is hard and funky with KRS spitting “Just when I thought my dream, it had stopped, in walked in DJ Scott LaRock” in an ode to his late partner in rhyme and BDP co-founder.
Jewels are dropped all over the place on “Mind,” like on “F#$& This,” “I’m on top like Canada where the chill is, move the crowd, that’s still what a true m.c. is”. Or on “Raw B.E.A.T.”, “The devil on every level is jittery, no I’m not the average m.c., I’m the epitome.”
On “You Ain’t Got No Time,” he tackles everything and takes no prisoners.
The track’s chorus is from a classic Malcolm X. speech from his days as a minister in The Nation Of Islam. “To have once been a criminal is no disgrace, to remain a criminal is a disgrace.”
On “Time,” KRS attacks Trump. “They tellin’ lies, we betta rise and get a plan, the U.S. President, he’s endorsed by the Klan.”
KRS hands out whippings to Uncle Tom celebrities as well. “Politics is a pile of tricks, 8 years, what do we get out of it? More chatter, more gun splatter, more dumb rappers and dumb athletes and actors.”
The hardest hitting lyrics of the set are the chorus of “You Like Me.” As long as I’m dancin’, actin’ or rappin’, walkin’ around like I don’t know what’s happenin, you like me.”
Those lyrics alone could be a slogan for the philosophy of white supremacy.
The man just ain’t playin.’
Rating 9/10
