In 2007, if you asked the average rap listener coming-of-age in the era of ring tones, SMACK DVD’s,106 and Park and MTV if
they knew who Akir was, they’d probably have no idea. The
oversight is understandable; after all Akir is an underground
emcee signed to a relatively unknown independent label, Viper Records. His songs aren’t being ‘bombed’ by Funkmaster
Flex, he doesn’t have videos on TRL, and if I
remember correctly, he wasn’t invited to do that “Live Earth”
concert this summer with The Police and Shakira.
In fact, if you were to ask that same listener to take give Legacy a
shot, chances are they would most likely reject the invitation. Sorry folks –
this is 2007, not 1997. Ten years ago, the average rap listener would run the
streets with Wu-Tang, party with Puffy,
hustle with Jay-Z, get lyrical with Company Flow
and at the end of day, turn into lovers like LL. These days
you’d be hard pressed to find a rap consumer who’s that open-minded. Talented
wordsmiths such as Akir are ignored by the mainstream because
of this narrow mindset, but if there is any justice in this world, that won’t
be the case for much longer.
This year, with the way the current rap climate is, Akir may
end up joining Brother Ali, Evidence, Black Milk, El-P and
Pharoahe Monch as another exceptional emcee with a dope album that’ll
be lucky to hit six figures in sales by the year’s end. Under the guidance of
indie-rap phenomenon Immortal Technique, ‘Legacy’ is
a 20-song exhibition of unbridled creativity, concise social commentary, top
shelf lyricism with a sharp dose of reality. ‘Legacy’ is also an album
that’s truly a throwback to a purer time in Hip Hop music, and thankfully Akir
has the sense to ensure its modern day edge.
Akir enforces this from the first line of the first joint
on the LP. After quoting Nice and Smooth‘s
classic jam “Sometimes
I Rhyme Slow,” Akir leaps right into “Rites Of Passage,”
a track that sounds like another love song for Hip Hop except for the expert
use of three banging beats and a deeper verbal intensity. Speaking of which,
let it be known that Akir is that politically and socially
aware street dude that’s always armed with a message. Often times, his vocal
style is reminiscent of a younger Nas with slight pinch of AZ
circa 1996 with a bit of a Dead Prez mentality, and these
influences positively empower this record. His presence is truly commanding on “Mood
Music,” where over a slick re-interpretation of Van Halen’s“Right Now,” Akir
attests to his self-confidence and ambitious spirit. Ingenious sampling
continues on “Apocalypse”
where Akir’s solid performance is only enhanced by the groovy
and beefier interpolation of Bob Marley’s“War.”“Grind” finds Akir
describing the mindset of a hustler close to the edge and on “Treason” he
addresses inner-city genocide with Immortal Technique who “Like
a white boy who got fired, is back with the burner” and claims that “Only
snitches and Kanye speaks through a
wire!”
Throughout this recording, Akir shows his unwavering
concern with detailing the everyday struggles of minorities and an eagerness to
speak on his ascension and the growing pains in his career. His candor is what
makes this album special, there’s no self-righteous manifestoes or overzealous
‘sermons’, just insight into the hopes, dreams (realized or shattered) and
tribulations of people of color. It’s music with a ‘black pride’ other races
can appreciate. “Politricks,”
for instance, is an outstanding take on the longtime disillusionment faced by
black voters come election time, with Akir finally convincing
himself join the voting process even if has to go to Ohio do it while
appreciating it’s pretty women. Regrets of a lost love and loneliness permeate
the wordplay of “No
Longer My Home” where Akir and guest vocalist Mojo
emotes their sadness over a beautiful array of mournful keys. He continues his
search for place to call his own on jazzy Spanish vibe of “Homeward Bound” describing
his days of waiting tables, doing car rentals and surviving stock market
crashes to attain his goals. On the flipside, the cleverly titled “Tropical Fantasy”
(named after the popular 50 cents soda), Akir brilliantly
convinces his “girlfriend,” played by the consistently amazing femcee Jean
Grae to forget the grind for a minute so they can take a well earned
vacation.
AD LOADING...
As seen in “Treason,”
“Tropical…” and “No Longer My Home,”Akir is more
than happy to share the lyrical and musical wealth on “Legacy.” He teams up
spitfire lyricist Hasan Salaam on “Change of The Seasons,”
celebrates spiritual and mental enlistment on “Resurrect” with moving vocals from Akua
Wilder and Krysti Yardon and lets loose Mas-D
and Veks One for a grand finale in the album’s title track,
only to bring back Immortal Technique and the charismatic Poison
Pen on the bonus track “The Louisiana Purchase” for an encore. Underground Hip Hop
in the past has had its examples of mind blowing poetry married to sub-par
production; this, however, isn’t the case on Legacy as Akir utilizes great work from Southpaw,
DJ N’ Finit, DJ Static, Fyre Dept. and even himself among others for a
sonic output worthy of his weighty rhymes. With bars such as “My rappin’
hold you captive like a pirate ship captain/ Plus a nice package so I’m going
ghetto platinum,” you definitely would want some serious ‘heat’ under
that.
Akir’sLegacy isn’t perfect. With a
seventy-minute-plus running time, there is plenty of room for filler like “Ride 2 It” to
creep in. It is, however, an astounding collection of songs by an impassioned
and focused emcee. He is evidence that an open minded Hip Hop head interested
in music beyond ‘Top 40’ rotation can be greatly rewarded.
