There’s no need to look much further past the title to get a feel for La Coka Nostra’s latest. Ill Bill, Slaine, Danny Boy, DJ Lethal, DJ Eclipse and company unabashedly mosh in Hip Hop’s seedier side with their second full-length, Masters Of The Dark Arts, a sinister, happily violent detour from the pop-centric. It’s a sound that’s a bit out of vogue next to contemporary fare, and for the most part, absolutely appreciated.
Cypher rhymes abound on MOTDA, but the narratives are the reason to reach for the rewind button. In “Letter to Ouisch,” DJ Lethal and Ill Bill concoct a haunting escapade seemingly designed to entice Ozzie Osbourne to devour the head of another bat. “Remember Dennis Wilson / Too Bad he drowned / He was there when I put acid in your daddy’s mouth,” raps Bill, reminiscing to Charles Manson’s one-time accomplice. “I took it from the House of Paine to the House of Slaine,” Danny Boy spits on “Creed Of The Greedier” (produced by Sicknature), a foreboding foray into greeds universality. Slaine delves into his relationship with his ex-wife, Erica, while riding DJ Lethal’s rumbling theme music to a dive-by to perfection on “The Story Goes On,” while Bill’s ode to his Uncle Howie just might be MOTDA’s most visceral verse:
“His father died young / Never knew him to shield him from the rain / Started shooting heroin at fourteen to numb the pain / Track marks similar to tattoos tell the story of a sad fool / Tragic monologue of a man whobecame a victim of half truths and whispered secrets / His own inner demons / Syringes and lesions / Crackpipes and binges on weekends led to benders and blackouts that last for seasons / For no apparent reason / Never had children / He was a child in a man’s body / Found joy in the thrill of the street and crack parties / Robbing drug dealers, selling dope, selling soap / Locked in the belly of the beast where the felons roam / Gift of gab, quick witted with a clever soul / Couldn’t keep him from catching a buck 50 in his dome / Matter fact, more like 250, too shifty / His name was Howie, but on Rikers Island he was ‘Gypsy.'”
Cosigns from DJ Premier, Statik Selektah, and Sean Price (“Mind Your Business,” “My Universe,” and “Electronic Funeral” respectively) fortify MOTDA. Laborious offerings like “Snow Beach” and “Murder World” dry hump too close to stock 1990s mediocrity. Over the course of 51 minutes, redundancy unfortunately sinks into the ethos. But that’s the risk with any sonically specific endeavor. Those engulfed in the mood will undoubtedly float in the gravity of the moon. For the rest, it’s hit and miss.
Sick.
Love that single.
What kind of review is this? Fuck you and your stupid review.
Here We Go.
REAL SHIT! NO HOMO THUG TWEEFIN, AUTO-TUNING, TIGHT JEANS WEARING, PINK MATTER NONSENSE!
YA HEARD?!!
dope i dont get the hype of kendrick LAMEar, j.cole meek mill
This is the real shit WORD
Nah Kendrick lamar is dope, hes only one of a few mainstream artists left that spits real shit, his content ain’t as hard as la cokas but he carries a great message.
weak. dese white piggs cant rap. YMCMB is much harder den dese fake ass wiggers. Lil Wayne is a real blood, he would kill them both on da streets and mic. Lil Wayne is da GOAT. swag
eli porter, that u?
Get off his dick you delusional fuck
Besides Drake…cash money is sh*t, and even Drake is Sh*t at times.
You can’t trust the opinion of anyone who signs off using “swag”.
I JUST DO IT FOR ATTENTION..I LIKE GETTING A RISE OUT OF PEOPLE WHEN IM NOT GETTING COCKS RIFLED IN MY ASSHOLE…….SWAG, I MEAN FAG…..NOT FAKE SUCKER BOI!!! WAYNE IS REALLY A BLOOD , HE WANTED BY THE COPS FOR BEASTIALITY AND SEXUAL CRIMES AGAINST MEN
These white folks can make better music than most those whack black rappers out their, lil wayne smh singing about picking daisies and licking on lollypops GTFOH that shits cool for woman. Also Waynes a studio blood, he wears their colors and pays the gang for protection but even 40 Glock showed lil wayne ain’t shit with the bloods.
Mainstream rappers need to take inspiration from these underground artists releasing all this censored crap that the record companies want BS. Even Eminem was sick for his lyrics until Jimmy Iovine stepped in and now look at Aftermath. Dre won’t put out Detox because Jimmys in his ear, Yelawolf had a great album with 0-60 and his whole sound changed once he join shady, 50 cent fell off big time, D12 is no more, all their musics whack, loads of artists walked from Aftermath because of artistic differences, Eminem makes mainstream pop music and thats just one label. The same can be said for the likes of Def Jam too.
Real Hip hop none of that fake ass candy as rapper Drake and lil Wayne shit.
You want real Hip hop check out Masta Hanksta on youtube.
what Laura answered I can’t believe that some people can profit $6542 in four weeks on the computer. did you read this link(Click on menu Home more information) http://goo.gl/hbHkc
Fuk dis shit YMCMB ova everyting 4eva!!
GO SUCK UR MOTHERS COCK..IF U WANT ATTENTION JUST ASK FOR IT FAGGOT
Listening to Coka just makes me miss Non Phixion
Co-sign Non Phixion really had something going on as a group, it’s sad the way it ended but this album could have used a dj muggs beat still dope though!
Does anyone know why Everlast isn’t on this album or why he left?
I believe it was some personal shit. Either he was sick or his kid. Not sure.
his daughter is sick, that’s why he’s takin a break
Everlast’s daughter has cystic fibrosis so he wanted to be close to her… while traveling the world on a solo acoustic tour.
hahaha truth. Everlast is fulla shit.
everlast is wack. hopefully ill bill punched his fucking head in. everlast makes terrible music and looks like hes 60 years old. hes the guy that had la coka rhyming over guitars and shit happy he left. now la coka is fucking with primo and everlast is on stage greyed out with a guitar in his hand mumbling bullshit.
rick ross is better
UR ASSHOLE IS SUCKIN WIND PLAYA
Tim Vigil should have done the cover art.
Check out music from Tre Beatz!
Download new music on iTunes from Tre Beatz!
Bath Salt – Tre Beatz ft. Kanary Diamonds –
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/bath-salt-feat.-kanary-diamonds/id543685070?i=543685080
Check out music from Tre Beatz!
Rondo – Tre Beatz ft. Charlie Brown-HotNewHipHop
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=tre+beatz
Might have to cop this shit
Replace C-Lance with DJ Muggs or Necro and this album would be golden. Fuck that bum. PEACE
awesome
Agree with review and rating.
This an album full of creativity, originality, and a shit load of content gets a 3.5 but Rick Ross recycled bullshit music gets a 4?!!! And this is why music is fucked up!
Couldn’t have said it better myself, XXLmag gave the album an XL and that surprised me from them. Most of these review sites give all the mainstream artists good ratings even when their albums complete garbage because of their popularity. Masters of the dark arts is the best album I’ve heard in a good while 5 stars.
Love LCN. Everlast is sorely missed here. I am a Metal Musician and the hooks of Everlast (along with the dark rhymes of Bill and Slaine) was what attracted me to LCN and this form of hip-hop. “Cousin Of Death” was and still is a favorite song of mine. Reality and emotion. I like this album, but sorely miss Everlast.
Just listened to album and two bonus tracks I say the album is at least a 4. I dont understand the reviewers for underground music on here it’s like you have it out for the underground you only said one somewhat negative thing and that means 3.5? I think for underground music hip hop dx needs to get a reviewer who’s neutral and is at least familiar with the sound before reviewing.
Mr.MADness, suck out, C-lance is don, not saying Muggs or Necro aren’t good but it wouldn’t have been the same with out him.
Everlast is sorely missed. Not the same but still better then 90% of that garbage out there.
real hip hop nuff sed
This is a better album than the first. No disrespect, but, the group is better without Everlast.
Some good stuff right here. I’m liking C-lances beats.
these white boys killeld it 5 stars
a letter to ouisch manson shit ill
dopest album of 2012
I totally agree!!
this album gets better every time you hear it, so great work.
And even if i dont thought this would be possible, its better than the first, even without Ecerlast.
FIre!!!!!!!!!!!!
dont understand the C-lance hate… hes not the greatest but hes not the worst either.. i do agree only thing album is missing is a muggz beat and an everlast hook here or there. No mention of Mossad or Eyes of santa muerte.. thought those were standout tracks
i love this…futuristic head music…
Dope as fuck.
REAL HIP HOP BACK TO WHERE IT BELONGS
SICK ALBUM
The way it’s sposta be!! whoot whoot