An album i've been anticipating since I heard about its release, and kind of odd really because I haven't even checked out the two other albums (EAG 1&2) out yet. I just see this one, and I thought when this album comes out I'm going to get it. For the features if anything being my main reason, but also because of Magnetic's involvement in the current line up of Army Of The Pharoah’s. A group who I very much look forward to hearing on their album ('In Death Reborn') coming out later this year, but back to the now though, and we press play on the first track (Pop) which doesn't have any features, but it's okay for a first track. It kind of sounds on the beat like somebody’s making music by tapping on a row of glasses of water. A kind of xylophone effect you could say, but anyway - moving on.
On to the Celph Titled, Ruste Juxx & DJ Revolution featured Guns Theme, and other than the beat you got to love that first Celph Titled lyric:
"Not just rap doe I let the burner flame em cos buddy I hold the Eagle down like I'm a bird trainer".
Back to the beat though, and it's got like a big band sort of sound, and if you listen you can again hear the water glasses sound. You might not agree, but I won't go on about it, because I can imagine to some people I might sound a bit stupid. So on to the next (Wild Out), and this one it reminds me a bit of the old Busta Rhymes track ('Give me some more'). Which I couldn't tell you if it's used in the sample, but what definitely is, is a violin sample. Something which combined with the rest of the album so far, water glasses and all, makes for a real classical sort of sound, and I'm not complaining actually, because other than this I actually quite like King Magnetic's voice.
Especially on track 4 ('Promises') which features some dude called Hannibal the Great, who sounds a bit like Raekwon I'd say, and about the beat... It's another good one - keeping with that classical sound. Something I could definitely listen to again.
Back to the rest of the album though, and I said about features; well, this one is a proper posse cut featuring the likes of Adlib, Main Flow, Blacastan, Diabolic & GQ Nothin Pretty. It's called Grim Reaperz, and one might assume that this track might possibly not be the last from this collective. You could imagine a whole Grim Reaperz album in the future, but about the track its okay, but I don't Mag think really needs all the features. He definitely can hold his own, and if not just for his rapping, but his choice of beats as well. Like the Marco Polo produced (Who you?) for example - a bit Disney Land yes, but it doesn't change the fact that it goes hard, and it's another great example of what the rapper can do on his own. Which is a shame really because it’s the last track like this and with the rest of album there’s pretty much features on every track.
Tracks which continue with (WTF happened?) featuring frequent collaborator GQ Nothin Pretty. A track with a marching sounding kind of beat, and it’s a bit Capone N Noreaga in the sense of how it’s a trade off of bars between the two emcees. A definite chemistry, but moving on, and this time it’s another posse with this time Block McCloud, Tug Mcgraw, & Sha Stimuli. It’s called (This Life) & if you listen to it the piano loop is quite obvious, but if you listen carefully you can again in a small part the glasses of water. Although actually it’s quite hard to notice because as lyrics go it’s a pretty tough track, and especially because of Sha’s verse:
“look I been a violent rider since I been tiny toddler/ rapping Lodi Dodi my mother hollered and I shouted louder/ in and with the powder I’m not proud of my movers/ when doing music wasn’t moving so I vowed to get my bread up…”
So another solid track in my opinion, off a good album, and without hearing anymore tracks I would say that this album is good enough already, so anymore tracks are a bonus. Tracks which continue with (Wake Up) and it’s another banger. It features DJ Revolution, Murdoc, & GQ Nothin Pretty, and it kind of a bit hard to describe really, but it’s good. Mainly because of GQ’s verse at the end, although it’s mainly DJ Revolution who steals the show, for his input on the beat, and as contributions go it doesn’t end there for DJ Rev. He also appears on the next track (This Ain’t Gonna Work). A single collaboration this time by Mag & Rev, and it’s quite similar to the last track beat wise, but probably doesn’t stand out so much.
Something which you could argue is because it’s a build up to the next track (Beast Pt. II). One of the albums biggest tracks possibly, for features by Saigon, Ruste Juxx, & Sean Price, and as for the track it doesn’t sound like Saigon’s usual sort of track when it comes in, but it does however have King Magnetic written all over it, for the choice of beat. Another classical sampling number, with quite noticeable violins, and operatic symphonies, and its maybe not to every hip hop listeners taste, but I’m happy with it, though mainly I’d say for other similar tracks by JMT, Canibus, & AOTP.
Off the subject of track 11 though, and we have two more songs left. The first being (Nothing) feat. Capadonna, & GQ Nothin Pretty, and It’s a pretty immediate track as it gets going. A bit like the earlier track (Wild Out), in the sense of the beat which has the same sort of sound in it, but otherwise it’s pretty up beat really. A good way to finish up, although not before the actual end track (Watch Out), and it’s another posse cut. This time featuring AOTP members Esoteric, Ali Armz, Godilla, Jus Allah & Vinnie Paz, and it’s surprisingly short for all the features, but what better way to finish up. It’s kind of a taster to the In (Death Reborn LP), and as the final piece in the puzzle it makes for a pretty solid album. So with that being said and at rating time I’m going to give this album a 9/10. Generous considering it’s only just over 30 minutes long, but for its replay value it’s a worthy mark I think, and I would definitely say this album is worth buying/ downloading, and an even better reason to also check out its predecessors (EAG 1&2).
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