Rakaa
Crown Of Thorns

Written by Dominick. Published: Tuesday, August 10, 2010.

When a member of a much loved and successful conscious Hip-Hop group sets out to do a solo album the results can be anything. There seems to be little connection to the group being technically nice and having good fortune to that of the lone wolf member, who strikes out on his own to test unaccompanied waters attempting to mirror those prior group achievements. In this case we have Rakaa Iriscience, the longtime, steadfast, lyrically dependable front man of Dilated Peoples; perhaps L.A.’s most celebrated underground group ever. Alongside DJ Babu and Evidence he’s been a major part of why Dilated will always own the hearts and minds of real heads in LaLa land, but one would have to ask, after Dilated has been around for some 2 decades or so now, why is Rakaa the last to drop that oh so clamored for solo? Testing his capabilities dolo, Rakaa gives us Crown Of Thorns and something like an answer to that question.

As expected Rakaa follows the Dilated Peoples formula on Crown Of Thorns to a large extent. Interesting collaborations, above board production assists, heady wordplay throughout, all which makes for a nice album, but not one that soared regrettably.

Ra kicks things off with the title track that boasts a memorable Sid Roams beat and Aloe Blacc harmonizing on the chorus. It’s a strong start that leads into the album’s first attention-grabbing collab, “The Observatory”. It features longtime Reggae and Dancehall staple Mad Lion and we hear some of Iriscience’s illest and deepest cerebral pennings on the entire project on top of it. Among his dense references are the mind bending Golden ratio, health care reform, the RNC, Henrietta Lacks and Haliburton. He sounds informed and well read not paranoid and that’s refreshing distinction to be able to make. I love how he approached that joint and even though the King Jahzzy production was a bit cyclic, his lines shined through. “Delilah” follows as Ra links up with his Dilated brethren Evidence for the album’s best beat thus far (courtesy of Ev), but a cut that really sounded lyrically like Ra still had one foot stuck in the last track while he tried to bemoan the pitfalls of disloyalty.

“Human Nature (Now Breathe)” is thee most outstanding all-around track that you’ll find on this LP and it’s of no surprise that KRS-One guests on it. Ra and Kris coming together is a perfect fit; although he sounds aurally nothing like The Teacher, Ra’s music, just as Kris’s is rooted firmly in knowledge of self and the world. Over a brilliant, stripped down, boom bap Exile production KRS and Ra go to work and delve deep into the human condition. This is the album’s sleeper record, if you only can play one joint from Crown Of Thorns let this be it.

The rest of the record can be a bit forced in spaces due to Ra’s somewhat pious foundations. At times he weaves in and out of the recurring theme of spirituality and mysticism, occasionally at his own peril. That route pays off with joints like “Rosetta Stone Groove”, which combines Ra’s unpretentious rhymes with the soothing vocalizations of L.A. based, Rebirth band lead-vocalist Noelle Scaggs and in other instances Ra’s flair for the mystical comes up kinda flat, like on “Mezcal”. A record dedicated to the famed Mexican distilled alcoholic beverage and one that tries to parallel it’s effects to having cohesion on the street. I just didn’t vibe with the beat Illmind cooked up for that record so maybe I’m biased, but I just didn’t connect all that much to what he was tryin to do there, although I will applaud him for thinking outside of the box. Another misstep I felt stuck out was “Mean Streak”. The Chali 2na aided blend was far too manic in the production department and Chali and Rakaa’s chemistry was notably absent as 2na sort of just combed through the chorus while Ra struggled to deliver something that resembled a lil’ bit of aggressiveness.

It seems that the times when Ra performs best are with another MC to feed off of or when he’s waxing poetic about truth, love and wisdom as it pertains to Hip-Hop. “Aces High” is one of the best west coast posse cuts in years and features Rakaa’s like-minded soldiers of the same struggle, Defari and Evidence as well as Fashawn; a young cat that seems to be ready to step up and step into the role of the next generation of meaningful MC’s from the West. The lofty ideals somewhat take a back seat here, but despite that “Aces High” proves to be a powerful hand and the Alchemist powered notes push our MC’s over the top. The break from Ra’s elevated messages is only temporary and he finishes with heartfelt and touching reverence on “Upstairs” a somber and passive way to conclude a respectable album.

Few artists so readily put their true viewpoints out there for the public to consume. Rakaa has been doing it for quite a minute and his dedication to virtue within Hip-Hop as well as his keenness to join forces with a wide array of artists from all sorts of genre’s, backgrounds and even era’s proves he’s highly adaptable in the studio and seeks out talented people. He has a sound that is ingrained in the true school and the production duties on Crown Of Thorns should leave listeners well satiated. Perhaps Ra’s themes and verses lacked a bit of bite and edginess but in all honesty that’s simply just not how he gets down. He won’t be the guy smacking dudes up on records. What he does do is remain true to self and if you paid attention, at times, some hefty amounts of just who exactly Mr. Rakaa Taylor is and how he walks this journey called life were illustrated vividly.

$16.95 out of $20

-Dominick “BIG D O” Ledezma

Category: Reviews