Okai and Ayatollah - OKP Review
El_Mezcalito
312 Posts
Raj you gonna do that review or what homie?? I had to go cross-town to get the online reviews..check OKP's... I think yall would really like this album.. 3.5 Afro's..Drops 3/21/06These days, when an upstart emcee wants recognition he has to make himself worthy of noticing. Whether it???s starting beef with another rapper, promoting a criminal history, or getting co-signed by a respected star, every emcee needs an angle to reach the masses. Okai uses a slightly less conventional approach, albeit a more successful one, making his name known by proudly releasing his debut LP in conjunction with one of the underground???s most celebrated producers, Ayatollah.Ayatollah, creator of gems like Mos Def???s ???Ms. Fat Booty,??? Styles P and Pharoahe Monch???s ???The Life,??? and Talib Kweli???s ???The Proud,??? produces every track on the album, including a fair share of new jewels. Okai (pronounced ???Oh-Ki???), uses his album to stake his claim as a strong Brooklyn emcee with a Haitian background, and thrives off of his producer???s soulful beats. Not surprisingly, the two make a great team, especially when working with featured artists. ???Face/Off??? is a prime example, as Okai and Planet Asia trade rhymes over a stellar vocal sample and jarring horns. Okai also successfully slows things down on ???No Question,??? in which Vinia Mojica blesses the bass driven track with one of her signature refrains. Throughout the record, producer Ayatollah cements his standing as one of the most soulful men in the game. ???Family Values??? cannot be described as anything but soulful as hell, as Ayatollah perfectly captures a great vocal sample that couldn???t have come from none other than Patti LaBelle. He further demonstrates his talents on the highlight ???Natural,??? which features great strings and a solid chorus.Though not a sublime emcee, Okai does manage to hold his own on the record. On the closing track ???Amendment,??? he puts forth a plan to save the starving and impoverished of the third world, as well as those here at home. With a slightly off-beat flow and intelligent lyrics, Okai???s sound is a welcome deviation from the tired standards of typical rap. Although carried by his producer, Okai still puts forth an excellent collection of songs on Dekonstruktion Of The Mind, and demonstrates the beginnings of what???s sure to be a bright future in rap.??? Miles Duncan 
to cop this and support
to cop this and support
Comments
12" in stores now too.
don't snooze!