Fade
The Beat Strangler
Administrator
illest o.g.
Lion The Uncommon Samurai has been an ILL member since 2005, yet I wasn't very familiar with his work. Hailing from Detroit, he's both a skilled emcee and producer, with a calm, precise delivery / deep, abstract lyrics; and eclectic tastes sample-wise. "Writing on the Mind" is his first LP (which is entirely self produced I shall note). Now time for the review.
1.Writing on the Mind (5 out of 5 Classic)
I'm really feeling the beat with a superb sped up vocal sample. Lion's flow is reminiscent of Edo G's: calm but definitely on point. On that track he explains his philosophy so to speak.
2.Detail [Beyond Color] (4.5 out of 5 Very Good)
Nice bass-heavy track with again a dope vocal sample. Lion talks about his passion for graffiti, the idea was originally inspired by greyscale graffiti while the evolution was inspired by philosophy. The graffiti became a metaphor for detail in ones craft.The color, while good and pretty, is extra.
3.A Page In the Black Book (4 out of 5 Good)
The "Black Book" is a reference to graffiti. Writers draft their pieces, tags, throwies and keep snapshots of their work and the work of their crews or idols.Nice sped up sample and round bass, however the lack of snares is kind of odd.
4.ElectricLoveFunk (feat. Grand Styles) (3 out of 5 Fair)
A decent party track featuring emcee Grand Styles who delivers a good performance. I like the energetic drums and bass but the synths are not my cup of tea.
5.Heaven Spots (4.5 out of 5 Very Good)
Nice piano-driven song. Lion flows with confidence on this one. Lion speaks about graffiti artists, who specialize in writing on Heaven Spots aka incredibly high, often dangerous spots. Insatiable the feeling, they keep going higher.The term Heaven Spot has a double meaning, not only being in an extremely elevated spot, but also being that it's so dangerous writers have ended up going to heaven because of it.
6.Livin' My Life ft Sospiro (5 out of 5 Classic)
Wow! This track is a solo by Sospiro who flows effortlessly/organically on this bravado track. Also awesome beat with energetic drums, flutes and electric piano.
7.Page 2 In the Black Book (4 out of 5 Good)
Page 2 of the black book details the emcee's troubles. Beat is somewhat similar to Part1 (with snares tho this time).
8.Samurai's Soul (5 out of 5 Classic)
You gotta love that phat guitar-driven beat. Subject-wise it's all about bragging' rights.
9.Higher Voice (4.5 out of 5 Very Good)
Lion talks about negativity, especially in the US. Nice chill, jazzy piano-driven beat.
10.All Work, All Talk (5 out of 5 Classic)
The repetitive beat is really addictive with the dope horns. Lion talks about dedication and hard work.
11.Page 3 In the Black Book (4.5 out of 5 Very Good)
Page 3 of the Black Book. Nice piano beat.
12.Last Call ft Grand Styles, Ms. Vybe, 4nsic, Emonic (5 out of 5 Classic)
The finale is a dope posse cut with horn/piano stabs and a slamming drum break. All emcees come correct.
Conclusion: a strong effort from a talented artist. I recommend the LP to all fans of true Hip Hop music and ...Graffiti heads of course!
Final Score: 4.5 / 5
Download the album for free : Bandcamp.com
More Info: JUSTMuziq.com
