The CunninLynguists are a Hip Hop group currently consisting of Kno, Natti, and Deacon the Villain,
with Kno hailing from Georgia and Natti and Deacon from Lexington, Kentucky. Throughout the years, the Lynguists's lineup has changed a little bit, but Deacon and Kno have been the two sailers of this ship since the beginning. The two met at a party in Atlanta and instantly hit it off. They recorded this album on no budget, and with no label. Kno provides nearly all of the beats on here (and on all CL albums), which is why Cunninlynguist's albums in general have a very consistent sound throughout, something we don't see a lot in this genre anymore. Also, Kno is my favorite beat maker of all time, so don't be surprised that I love the instrumentals on this disc.
The Cunninlynguists started off with this album, and were then signed to QN5 music, an indie record label ran out of New York City by rapper Tonedeff (who will get a review soon enough). This label to this day is still their home. Shortly after the release of this album, Florida MC and lablemate Mr. SOS joined the group, but he departed from the group after the release of the group's second album, Southernunderground, due to his inability to wash the dishes in the QN5 cafeteria (in reality, "creative differences" were cited as the reason for SOS's departure). After Mr SOS left the group, they soon recruited a new member, fellow Kentucky MC Natti (of the group Kynfolk), creating their current lineup. So that would make the CunninLynguists a trio now, yes, but at the time this album was conceived, it was just Deacon and Kno, so shut up and get over it.
This album is suprising because it doesn't sound even remotely like a modern day "southern" album, even though it was released in 2001. It sounds more like an East Coast affair, but you may find that these guys have a sound similar to that of Outkast, but i personally prefer these guys more. Sadly, this album is out of print, so you likely wont be able to find a physical copy of it anywhere. Anyway, lets get on with it.
1. Will Rap For Food
Normal rap album intro, but at least it's mildly entertaining.
2. Lynguistics
The string filled beat is excellent, and Deacon and Kno pass the mic back and forth very well, filling the great instrumental with consistenly entertaining punchlines. "Our rhymes are like an anaconda serpent's clutch". Brilliant! And at less than three minutes, this track can be replayed over and over without getting old or using up much of your time. This song is basically perfect.
3. Mic Like a Memory (Feat. Kory Calico)
And just like that, the mood of the album shifts dramatically from happy go lucky to depressed as hell. A Common vocal sample opens the song off, leading into Deacon spitting a verse about various obstacles in his life, and the lines about his deceased sister were especially touching. Kno spits a similar verse about his obstacles, talking about his parent's past drug use and how rap eases the pain in his life. The beat is perfectly melancholy, and yet when the trumpet hits, one can imagine a slight glimpse of hope in the future. Guest Kory Calico spits a mediocre verse but the song survives and ends up as a consistently entertaining track.
4. So Live!
The beat on here isn't provided by Kno, and frankly, you can tell. It's a little too bouncy and not quite as masterful as a normal Kno instrumental. The punchlines thrown around by Deacon and Kno are still pretty good and entertaining, but this is the one song on the album that i usually skip, because i just can't get over the fact that Kno didn't produce it. Also, out in the world somewhere there is a 12'' vinyl with this song and Thugged Out Since Cubscouts on it, and if you have $50 to shell out, it would be a worthy purchase.
5. Hey (Interlude)
Just more proof that Kno is a master beatsmith.
6. Fukinwitchu
The beat on here is a little more laid back and simple, allowing the rhymes to take center stage. But don't get me wrong, the beat is still really good. The chorus, consisting of vocal samples scratched together reminds me of a simpler time in hip hop, and the Eminem vocal sample was nice to hear too. Deacon and Kno's lines are actually really funny on here. I found myself laughing repeatedly during the course of this song, even if some of the lines will offend some of the more sensitive listeners.
7. Aint No Way (Feat. Anetra and Mr. SOS)
Guest Mr. SOS leads this song off with a proficient verse, but the string led beat once again is really good, except on this particular song i found that the beat overpowered the verses a little. It's still a good song merely because of the production work though, and Deacon brings more to the table than Mr. SOS so it isn't bad by any means. In fact, it isn't too bad at all.
8. Missing Children
The CunninLynguists bring it back to the more serious side on this song, and as a result, you end up hanging onto every word. The storytelling ability of Deacon The Villain is simply extraordinary, and the beat is beautiful. Deacon's verse about his sisters death is once again very touching, and you find yourself feeling a strong sympathy for him and all he's had to go through to set an example for his little brothers and attempt to make something of himself. This is really good. The beat switching up at the end was a nice touch as well.
9. Midnight (Interlude)
More proof that Kno is a better producer than you and i will ever be.
10. Thugged Out Since Cub Scouts (Feat. Jugga the Bully and Mr. Raw)
This is brilliantly played out, with each artist spitting hardcore verses about how thugged out they were as children. "In the lunch line, what you thinking dawg? I'll stab you dead in the eye with a lincoln log."
BRILLIANT! Kno's beat is a banger, the lyrics are absolutely hilarious, and this song makes a beautiful mockery of overly violent gangster rap. This is a masterpiece.
11. Kno's Diggin (Interlude)
EVEN more proof that Kno is a brilliant producer.
12. Halfanimal
Kno brings the most commercial sounding beat on here, but it's still a banger, so no complaints. According to Kno, this beat was also the only one on this album created without a sample, so i'm also a little impressed. The fun yet slightly repeteive instrumental allows Deacon to fool around and deliver punchline after punchline, and they're consistently entertaining throughout the entirety of this song. Also sampling Nas and Eminem vocals as the chorus was a pretty good idea. Not bad at all.
13. Family Ties (Feat. Anetra and Cashmere the Professional)
Wow these guys both despise their parents. Like, a lot. The stories of their broken childhoods and irresponsible parents are not only convincing, but they're told in such a fashion that leaves me hanging onto every word that Deacon and Kno say. Even i found myself despising Deacon and Kno's parents after this one. Cashmere the Pro holds his own on here as well, and if you're looking for quality underground stuff, he's a great guy to look up.
14. Dirty South
An instrumental, and an ironic one at that, because this sounds like NOTHING that would ever come out of the South.
15. Mindstate
The song starts off with an Inspectah Deck vocal sample, and since i'm an avid fan of Wu-Tang, this song immediately grasped me. The string laced beat is entirely different from "Lynguistics", and is actually somewhat depressing. However, the instrumental perfectly allows Deacon and Kno some ample space for inner reflection, which is something that a lot of hip hop lacks. This was really solid.
16. Takin' The Loss (Feat. Jugga The Bully)
The chorus is stupid, but the song is pretty good. The words get a little lost in the beat though, so for that reason, this song is only okay. This song had the potential to be amazing because Kno's beat is pretty good, as are the lyrics. But the mix of the track needs work.
17. Not Guilty
A simply amazing instrumental, provided courtesy of Kno. Listen to this a few times before moving on to the next track, trust me it's worth it.
18. 616 Rewind (Feat. Celph-Titled, Tonedeff, Kashal-Tee, and Sankofa)
Deacon and Kno recruit 4 of their MC friends to spit some bars over this Deacon beat (that's right, the other MC in C.L. can produce as well), and the results are fantastic. The name of the song is derived from the fact that there are 6 rappers spitting 16 bars each, and it's so good you want to rewind it. Get it? But yeah, this song is ridiculously good. Tonedeff, the Cunninlynguists label boss and friend rips this up, proving he is a brilliant rapper in his own right. His flow is almost too fast, but i still love it. Deacon and Kno bring some brilliant lines of their own, "I'm no nice Mr. Rodgers sued my ass for copyright infringement." What a brilliant way to end a debut album.
In Conclusion: This album is like nothing you would ever expect from a southern group. Deacon and Kno consistently shine lyrically over amazing Kno instrumentals, with an occasional feature from their very talented friends. And the best part is that the Cunninlynguists only get better from here, i promise.
So What?: Go to Amazon or iTunes right now and buy this album in its entirety. Will Rap for Food is quite possibly the best album to ever come out of the South, and that is quite the compliment. Plus, these guys still struggle to make ends meat, so please give them your money, if only to ensure that an amazingly talented group is still able to release music.
No comments:
Post a Comment