Latyrx - review

From the opening track, unsurprisingly titled Latyrx, this album testifies to many things. The creative spirit of hip-hop. Hip-hop as a therapeutic medicinal remedy. Happiness. Celebration. The energy that true expression gives human beings. The backbone of hip-hop, the morality, the guts. And as I come full circle and mention once more the all-important creative spirit of hip-hop, it is essential to mention the names of those who do so much to bring that feeling back on this classic record. Latyrx are Lateef & Lyrics born....Lat-yrx!

It would however, be more foolish than a texan president, to assume that the two lyricists are the only force behind this record. The best beats on the album come from the unstoppable DJ Shadow. Early masterpieces like The Quickening burst with flows and samples that scare you. They scare you! Shadow is on point, insane, out of control! Regarding the poetry, the linear notes of this LP/CD thankfully come with the lyrics printed, but the beauty of the amazing flows is that they truly have to be listened to, as well as read, in order to fully appreciated.

Lateef comes across as the more fiery and animated emcee, whilst lyrics born blesses us with a whole new lyrical style throughout the album. Just as Ghostface Killah invented the 'crying-rap' style, Lyrics born gets away with lazy, lethargic flows that somehow stay in time with the beat. The two of them however, both display an intelligence, sharpness, and soul that to this day, is lacking in mainstream hip-hop. Listen to the explicitness of their subject-matters, and the fact that their lyrics will stand out so much is testament to how fresh these guys are. If the two were to be compared to kung-fu styles, Lateef would be Bruce Lee, running rings around Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 'The Game of Death.' Lyrics born would be Jackie Chan, in the drunken master, swaying backwards and forwards with his drunken-monkey style.

The emotionally charged Balcony Beach sees Lyrics born go solo in a diary-style track that has him contemplating life, and growing old all told with the crashing of waves and a simple, yet evocative beat. Simple is a word that could be used about this album, but it is deceptively and subtley simple. These guys know the tick-tock, but often strip down their intellectual sides to deal with the raw emotions of modern day life. The album moves into slightly more up-tempo territory for the second-half, but the potency of the lyrics on tracks like Burnt Pride and Bad News always ensure that the ride is an interesting one.

Hear this album, it one of the most slept-on, interesting and soulful hip-hop albums you will own. Variety in the gene-pool is what makes life life, and in this case, variety in hip-hop is what makes hip-hop hip-hop. With that in mind, it would be a tragedy for anyone to miss out on this gem.

Y.Misdaq aka Yoshi

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