A.T.I.

Silent Knight
Hunger Strike
Elementality Records


Let's take it back to '06 to take a look at the impressive release from Elementality recording artist Silent Knight. In an industry where realistic personalities are few, Silent Knight backs away from the clichéd overly-confident street hustler persona, instead giving insight into his own thoughts and feelings on the well-put-together Hunger Strike. While this effort probably won't get the attention to warrant ending the strike, that's probably a positive, as Knight's unwillingness to sacrifice any of his verses for commercial filler makes for an underground album free of skippable material.

Hunger Strike begins with a title track that gives off a sense of something special, as Knight's effortless flow combines simple rhymes with complex ideas noticeably well. Knight provides smart reasoning behind the goals of an artist on "So Close," before describing society's loss of meaningful relationships on "Everybody Needs", "Nowadays, you get paid for saying anything/So platinum plaques don't mean shit like wedding rings." The subdued production, mostly backed by low piano loops brings Knight's rhymes to the forefront, and when collaborating with the equally talented Hasan Salaam on "Understood," the messages of survival and spirituality are evidently etched in the hearts of the two unique artists, "Judgment day is at hand, draw a line in the sand/The pentagon's a pentagram, and we pawns in they plan."

However, both the album's concepts and backings seem overly similar as the album progresses, and while all Knight's rhymes are well thought-out, it seems as though he didn't need 17 tracks at 70 minutes to GET his ideas on wax. "Shine," acapella and all, serves as a fitting closing to a great biography, and by the album's end, Knight's talents are clear. Although he hasn't quite mastered the art of a concise album, his future indeed shines brightly.

http://rapidshare.com/files/10842832...rike-2006-.rar


Inspectah Deck
The Resident Patient
Urban Icon Records


Many Wu-Tang faithful have criticized the lack of attention Inspectah Deck's solo projects have received, and commercially, his name has virtually disappeared, even losing the attention of underground loyalists. On his latest mixtape (compilation album), Deck does little to prove that he can hang with the Wu's premier MC's, as he is let down by dated production and few impressive guest spots. Deck's latest set, named after the famed Sherlock Holmes novel, sees the Inspectah uninspired, as most of the production attempts to rehash the glory of RZA's glorious work on Liquid Swords, only this time, it's boring, unoriginal, and repetitive. Thankfully, the rhymes are held a bit higher, but are still disappointing for a Wu release, as Inspectah Deck is at a loss for both innovative concepts and replay-worthy verses. While his street metaphors come through well on the more energetic "Get Ya Weight Up" and "It's Not A Game," there's only so long one can listen to why the new-school "hustlers" aren't cutting it. The Resident begs for more production credits out of the Inspectah, as his work on "Get Ya Weight Up" and "My Style" easily outclass the beats provided throughout the rest of this otherwise disappointing album.

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'Let's get it clear like eucalyptus, if you conflicted'

One Be Lo

props for the reviews

Doc Glokk

resident patient was dope i thought...and his rhymes were mad tight god

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PeAcE tO tHe StReEtS

ILLogic

^word. shame on a nigga for givin' an INS album at least a 3.5

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"How can Hip-Hop be dead if Wu-Tang is forever?" - RZA

A.T.I.

why would I give it a 3.5 when it wasnt a good album IMO

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'Let's get it clear like eucalyptus, if you conflicted'

ILLogic

i said at least a 3.5. but w/e. if u thought it was bad w/e

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"How can Hip-Hop be dead if Wu-Tang is forever?" - RZA

Rebel INS {CF}

the Deck album wasnt all that, and with good reason - THOSE FUCKIN HOUSE GANG FOOLS ! i hate them, oh so much, but Deck came correct as usual, id have sed a 3 maybe, wasnt all that i was expecting, and i havnt heard the other thing that u reviewed

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"Fighting Ignorance every day is gettin weary"
[name pending] --- The Gateway Drug --- Sometime Soon

Doc Glokk

ye the guest spots werent all that...but i think that Deck shined on this one.

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PeAcE tO tHe StReEtS

Better Than You

Hunger Strike is getting alot of spins from me. Quality album.

Agree about the Inspectah Deck album being disappointing.

Rebel INS {CF}

he always does, i dont think people actually get just how immense he is to be honest

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"Fighting Ignorance every day is gettin weary"
[name pending] --- The Gateway Drug --- Sometime Soon

Pineapple

Inspectah Deck waz ill on dis cd.........but silent knight cd waz also hot i lissened to it a week ago n shit waz ill it waz like a breath of fresh air