Hip-hop veteran Rakim has released his third solo album, The Seventh Seal, a slick record oozing with savoir faire, ol’ school rhyming, and root based beats. It’s been close to a decade since we’ve had a substantial collection of new material from the revered rapper and producer, and Rakim proves he hasn’t been slacking these past few years. He’s on top of his game, exhibiting a forceful command of delivery and lyrical versatility, and, for the most part, the music is well mixed and orchestrated, soothing loungey beats with a lot of Motown influence. At times (but rarely), this album goes in the ubiquitous direction so much of hip-hop devolves into: flashy sounds à la Kanye. However, Rakim invariably sustains his genuine candor. The opening track, How to Emcee, is fresh and unexpected, setting the uplifted pace of this album with a funky electric guitar wailing and cool back-up vocals fleshing out the chorus. Likewise, Working for You stands out for its musical appeal, a simple but funky tune that was made categorically for the suave and brooding. There is a serious crisis for originality these days in the hip-hop world, with artists and producers alike driving themselves to sometimes unwarranted lengths in order to grab some limelight. Here, we have an artist who keeps his cool, and rides out this vacant phase with some outstanding numbers that won’t shock but are infinitely listenable and urbane.
David Rozon
Key Tracks: Holy Are You, Working For You, How To Emcee, Won’t Be Long
Moods: Thuggish, Cold, Smooth, Swaggering, Street-Smart, Dramatic
Buy: The Seventh Seal
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