Apollo Brown & Ras Kass’ Blasphemy is a bold philosophical collection of music. The album arrives amidst national racial tension after several instances of black men being killed at the hands of police. Of course, turning villains out of people considered “other” is not a new occurrence in America, and Ras and Apollo are seeking to provide a little context to that situation.
The album’s lyrics don’t pertain to police violence and racism exclusively. Religion is a major theme; specifically, inconsistencies within the texts, and the inherent violence associated with religious conflict (historically speaking). The title also begs you to look at what else in your life is a religion. The worship of money, power, government, respect, sex and love amongst other things are what most directly embody true blasphemic behavior, as defined by Ras Kass.
Ras’ is at his best on Blasphemy when he’s rapping about hypocrisy and sowing seeds with his lyrics. On “Deliver Us From Evil,” he raps: “They ask me if I’m Muslim cause I don’t eat swine / Nah, let’s call it kosher, my original culture / Cried what Hitler did to Jews by the Rhine / But two wrongs don’t make it right when you occupy Palestine / And white Christians, mission assisting the end times / Gon’ flip they wigs when Jesus the cast of Good Times / Black skin, big lips, hair full of dreads / Probably got his music bumping, why He can’t hear our prayers.” These bars are a tutorial in how to skillfully articulate big ideas. Ras once said that prison inmates and college students are his biggest consumers — or more generally, learned populations seeking knowledge. These lyrics are tailored for his consumers, though they are concise and thought provoking enough to affect anyone.
Yet for all of his powerful moments on Blasphemy, Ras’ lyricism also comes up short on different parts of the album. “Too Much Of A Good Thing” immediately precedes “Deliver Us From Evil.” It’s a break from the rather heavy, seemingly tailor made for a Spike Lee film subject matter, dealing with his lady cheating on him with other women. Philosophically, spousal affairs are blasphemous by nature, but the track doesn’t have the impact of the other societal challenges he tackles on the LP. Partly because he never outlines which part of the intimate goings-on between he and the protagonist constitutes blasphemy.
Apollo Brown’s technique on the one hand is consistent, which among other things, means he is one hell of a crate-digger. More often than not, the listener can pick up the pattern by which he forms his beats, chopping and sampling accordingly. He’s conservative with his rhythms, but his vast collection of sounds is truly impressive, and malleable in many ways. “Strawberry” and “Deliver Us From Evil” have the same head-bob effect, while occupying different ends of the stylistic totem pole. From time to time he switches everything up, too. But it’s not always for the better. 4 Rax supplies the hook on “Roses,” and his voice wavers like an auto-tune track. Nevertheless, instances like these are few and far between.
Blasphemy solidly meets expectations, but has only a few transcendent moments. Tracks pertaining to race and religion hit home harder than those pertaining to narrower situations. At times, Ras and Apollo misplace their intent while in pursuit of lyrical and musical diversity. Content on tracks like “Too Much Of A Good Thing” and “Drink Irish” still fall under the umbrella of general blaspheming, but doesn’t quite achieve escape velocity within the overall narrative. All in all, the elements of analyzing one’s society through the medium of music, and the discussions of controversial taboos are what carry the album as a whole.
Sum people are highly critical about wine, while others are critical about home decor. Im critical about hiphop and whut gets spin. This album is very dope (deserving of the other half of the star) The only thing about Rass, thats always plagued him and has limited his fan base since his genesis is is subject matter. The brother’s deep and hardly leaves the floor of Atlantis. Every now and then, just sum good ole boom bap, were you don’t need you thinking cap would be good. Even Talib lets up every now and then. Thats the only thing I have to say about this project. I still got it in the deck right now.
no disrespect, but pause and shuffle are our friends. i remember stacking 12″ records on moms’ automatic turntable… i also remember sweating the battery life on my walkmans… FF and REW cost $$$! just don’t get the bends when you come up for air. again, no disprespect!
4/5
4/5
3.5 is right. beats get boring. album is good but not amazing
Apollo Brown provides a great soundscape for Rass Kass to go in his bag and spit that sh*t. Just a great Boom-Bap Hip-Hop album
Zajebisty album !!
Can’t wait to listen to this whole album, should be good! Surprised Ras Kass hasn’t done anything with Ab-Soul though, both comin outta Carson.
Giving this video 5 stars tho, based off his lyrical content and this classic boom-bap beat from Apollo Brown, shit’s nice!
In my opinion, the album is a 4.5. Each time I listen to the album, I find a new gem. It’s dope. Look at the reviews for crying out loud. Don’t believe HHDX
The album is amazing, period.
This album is incredible, it’s in my top 5 this year for sure. Apollo Brown finally gave Ras the production he needed to shine!
album is def 5 stars…hands down
Dope!!!
5/5. This review is dog shit. No mention of “Please don’t let me” or “Animal Instinct” – the two dopest tracks on the album that straight bang. C’mon Homer.
your review is wack
This album is absolute fire. No joke.
this review is a joke. Only 3.5 for one of the top albums of the year?
This album is banging, been playing it all morning!
4.5/5
3,5? You gotta be f***** kidding me? Don’t trust this Review guys. If it’s not a 5 its definitely a 4,5.
Don’t trust no one reviewing hip-hop whose name is homer
this shit knocks. 5/5
It’s too bad that we’ve come to a point where an album is torn apart and put under a microscope. What happened to the days of listening to an album and just enjoying the music?
Yall tripping easily one of the best albums in Hip-hop the last 4 years
Wonder if DX even know Ransom put out his Pain n Glory album last week and the LOX just dropped the Trinity 2 ep??????????
5
This is a dope album
This album is straight fire!!!.
FOH with that rating. Easily 4.5 Apollo’s production meshes perfectly with Rassy’s flow. This is a must cop album and possibly one of the best albums of 2014.
You guys are slippin with the reviews. This is one of the year’s best releases.
just look at us, everything is back words, everything is upside down. doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, university’s destroy knowledge, government destroy freedom, major media destroys information, major religions destroy spirituality, and hiphopdx destroy’s hip hop. haha not quite but it bothers me to simply see a low star rating. I find this album to be a better listen than logics recent release which got 4 1/2. When reading this review i agree with what is said. but please be more responsible and give guys like this a better grade. Youre that asshole teacher that marks a brilliant essay with a B. As a hip hop lover (which ide assume you are writing for this website) you should want to spread the knowledge of great hip hop and not just what the labels say.
I have always Found Ras Kass to be one of the most underated MC’s of all time and this album proves it.
Underrated, well-balanced, and intelligent. ..one of the best releases this year.
SMH on this rating. This whole album is so dope, it should have came with two syringes. The beats and the rhymes are top notch filled with a message.
HIP HOP!!
Best combination. Dope album.
great to have ras back
Damn…THIS IS REAL HIP-HOP.
Ras Kass has really nice lyrics and everybody who listened couple of his albums know it. He’s probably around 40 but still having more lyrics than some 20’s guys.
His music will be listened for years some of the albums that get a 4 4.5 rating here won’t be listened for more than couple of weeks.
The only thing that bothers me about mainstream hiphop site is that as it’s imnpossible to know every artist out there I listened to some albums because were higlhly rated on them but the quality was average as best… and I probably alos missed some great albums of artists that I dont know because the 3 stars ratings hold me to give it a listen
All you dickriding backpackers needs to shut the fuck up. 98% of Apollo Brown beats sound the fucking same!! This album got a 3.5. Good! He needs to step his production up, shit is not that good…
Can you please give me a concrete answer on what a “backpacker” is?
This album is almost perfect. Lyrically Ras kills it with punchlines, metAphors yet he stays on while Apollo complements production on topic
The rating you gave it is blasphemous
LOL
this album is a masterpiece. Ras one of the best to ever do it.
I want to see Apollo produce an album for Deck of WuTang.
That would be the ultimate.
I WOULD SAY THAT BE A FUCKING FOCUSED ALBUM, INS AND APOLLO…INS AND GHOST R THE ONLY DUDES I CAN LISTEN TO OUT OF WU, VINNIE PAZ AND APOLLO WOULD BE SOME ORIGINAL SHIT TOO, OR A 3 MAN ALBUM OF CRYPT WARCHILD + DOAP NIXON AND APOLLO….THAT BE FUCKING FOCUSED HIP-HOP, KAIMBR AND APOLLO? SPIT GEMZ AND APOLLO WOULD HURT SHIT TOO. DAMAGE CONTROL WOULD SERIOUSLY COME WITH TRAGEDY KHADAFI AND APOLLO OR STARVIN B AND APOLLO, THE GAME WOULD BE ON CHOKEHOLD THEN
Best album of this year hands down!!!….5/5 track afther track stricly knowledge and bars!!!
Anybody who disagree didnt listen to this album that good!!!…listen again before running ur mouths!!!
That one song How to kill God….destroys whole albums,..mixtapes and careers of u so called rappers!!!..
Listen and learn Ras Kass is teaching!!..but its hard to understand if u dont speak that hip hop dialect!!!…
Respect!!!…thnx Apollo and Ras Kass for this one!!!…
5/5 STRONG ALBUM, DEEP, FUNNY, INTELLIGENT, ILL AND WORTH A PURCHASE.
COP
This album is tough. No skippable tracks. Beats, lyrics, content, dope features, and replay value. One of the year’s top 5 for sure.
nice album. but ras kass should get his bitch ass beat up again by game for acting hard and being a punk bitch
Hahaha the game’s a backstabbing snitch, wonder why he never stays in jail?
Hahaha the game’s a backstabbing snitch, wonder why he never stays in jail?
Beats get a bit repetitive but overall a very good album.
i love ras kass, i even own his first two cds but this albums is hella lame
I just started listening to this. Maybe top 10 of 2014. I like it but like some have said the beats get a bit repetitive. Ras Kass dope on the mic.
The best rap album in 2014. One of the best albums in the last few years. We need Blasphemy pt. 2
shit is wild
There’s no sleeping on Ras Kass. Shits philosophical and artistic as fuck. Must listen!!