Wednesday, 14 October 2009
The Kinesis Thesis- a review
With a lot of British rap acts having to go the Dubstep, Grime or Drum 'N' Bass route to survive, it comes as a breath of fresh air to discover K.I.N.E.T.I.K, a truly talented rapper, out of the hectic streets of Kensal Rise, North London, at the 'notorious' end of the Bakerloo Line.
Citing influences such as Wu-Tang-Clan and the Lost Boys, this 27-year-old has been on a mission to return hip-hop back to its purposeful roots and essence - namely, a great lyrical flow, a variety of meaningful subjects and some wicked production, featuring scratching to add flavour to two tracks.
Taking film director Alfred Hitchcock's adage about grabbing the audience's attention in the first few minutes, Kinetik jumps out of the box with 'Let's Go', a blistering, amped track where he just rhymes for his life, announcing his purpose and telling all competitors to 'fall back.' The production hits you rougher than an animal, with a cinematic punch to the face, complete with a apt scratched-in Big L sample: "You think you're nice as me? Ha ha!'
Things slow down a bit on the title track, 'The Kinesis Thesis', to take things a little more reflectively. Over a nice funky two-step drum-riff and a female vocal, Kinetik raps about his reasons for being a rapper and the struggle to achieve his goals.
Other tracks speak upon living in London - 'In the City' paints a vivid picture of the daily grind of avoiding drugs, guns and having to survive - the hip-hop business, ('Keep it Goin') and domestic violence ('Love Has Never Lived Here'.) The 1980s break of choice, Melvin Bliss' 'Synthetic Substitution', provides the foundation for 'An Intense Rush', a track that speaks of the thoughts and feelings of rhyming as an outlet for frustration and positivity. 'Don't Be Silly' has a lovely trumpet sample and some Roy Ayers- inspired xylophones lacing the subject of Kinetik's lack of commitment with the ladies.
Inspired possibly by Nas, we also have 'Memory Lane', which is no less vivid and heartfelt than Nas' version. Kinetik raps about his hip-hop influences ('B.I.G') and quotes some cartoons of old such as Ninja Turtles and Transformers.
Kinetik reminded me a lot of underrated rapper O.C, another rhymer with skill, high-quality production and a gift for painting gritty stories with his rhymes. Thankfully, whilst Kinetik talks about British lives and issues, it doesn't detract from how well-produced the album is, or how much care and thought has gone into his rhymes.
If you're bemoaning all the Yin of hip-hop being about partying, blunts and materialism, then balance your Yang and support this artist. No more moaning; it's time to put your money where your mouth is and enjoy the essence of rap once again.
The Human Condition...
So, I just finished watching the mamoth (9.5 hour) Japanese epic "The Human Condition", recently released on Region 1 dvd by Criterion, upgrading it from some horrible VHS versions and a jarzy triple dvd set that didn't do the film(s) justice.
As we humans seem to be the only ones that question why we are here, beyond the basic need to survive etc, it seems only fitting that a film try and tackle the questions of 'Why are we here?' in a tangible way. As I've always argued: "there's no real meaning to life, which is why we must bring meaning to it."
The film is adapted by director Maski Kobayashi from Jumpei Gomikawa's six-volume novel, and, in three parts, tells the story of Kaji (Tatsuya Nakadai), an idealistic technocrat and it's his story, his anguish that contrasts this sprawling epic, which encompasses so many vistas, so many changes of weather and scenery, that this is about as near as a movie gets to recreating the scope of a novel.
It's really about one man trying to change things in the face of so much oppression; a man trying to make things better despite the increasingly hostility and loneliness he suffers.
On one hand he could be seen as a stubborn, self-righteous prig, and, on the other, a true moralist, standing up for the rights of the individual, who usually had no say in how they find themselves, especially as this film is set around WWII, a time of termoil for most.
I enjoyed the film, even though it was the longest I've sat through in about a year. Much of what he goes through in the film resonated with me, in my own experiences. There's a lack of morality and decency in a lot of a humanity, or lack thereof. I bemoan comments like "Well, that's just the way it is." It isn't. It's a choice, and we must never forget that whilst most of us don't understand why we're on planet Earth, our dealings with each other could be a whole lot more productive and happier.
As we humans seem to be the only ones that question why we are here, beyond the basic need to survive etc, it seems only fitting that a film try and tackle the questions of 'Why are we here?' in a tangible way. As I've always argued: "there's no real meaning to life, which is why we must bring meaning to it."
The film is adapted by director Maski Kobayashi from Jumpei Gomikawa's six-volume novel, and, in three parts, tells the story of Kaji (Tatsuya Nakadai), an idealistic technocrat and it's his story, his anguish that contrasts this sprawling epic, which encompasses so many vistas, so many changes of weather and scenery, that this is about as near as a movie gets to recreating the scope of a novel.
It's really about one man trying to change things in the face of so much oppression; a man trying to make things better despite the increasingly hostility and loneliness he suffers.
On one hand he could be seen as a stubborn, self-righteous prig, and, on the other, a true moralist, standing up for the rights of the individual, who usually had no say in how they find themselves, especially as this film is set around WWII, a time of termoil for most.
I enjoyed the film, even though it was the longest I've sat through in about a year. Much of what he goes through in the film resonated with me, in my own experiences. There's a lack of morality and decency in a lot of a humanity, or lack thereof. I bemoan comments like "Well, that's just the way it is." It isn't. It's a choice, and we must never forget that whilst most of us don't understand why we're on planet Earth, our dealings with each other could be a whole lot more productive and happier.
Brother Ali- he ain't no terrorist.
Brother Ali, Barfly, Camden, London (15th Sep 2009)
After a schizophrenic summer in London, where the sun shone sporadically, this concert, featuring Minnesota based Brother Ali, was prefaced by an all-day downpour, which, thankfully, didn't dampen the spirit of the sold-out crowd at the intimate Barfly.
Sporting a green Adidas tracksuit with gold stripes, contrasting with his highly publicised, but never exploited Albino skin, Brother Ali cut a stocky, cuddly figure as he took to the stage. Having a self-effacing, good-natured vibe about him, he got the crowd on side with tracks from his new album 'US' (Rymesayers Entertainment) which deals with such diverse subjects as his family ('Preacher', featuring an infectious drum and trumpet pattern); positive thinking and self-belief ('Crown Jewels'); poverty ('House Keys'); and the immigration experience ('The Travelers').
Equally diverse is the production from Ant, from underground rap group Atmosphere. Using DATS featuring funky trumpets, guitars, drums and pianos, Brother Ali took his audience on a journey of reflective, almost bluesy tranquillity- as if rap had finally grown up from its angry roots and successfully channelled its frustrations.
To balance the seriousness of some of his themes and rhymes Brother Ali knew when the time was right to show his sense of humour. He goofed off with some witty anecdotes and let his DJ BK-One show off his talents with a Latin American inspired, electrically funky mix of carefully thought out production and turntable wizardry.
Brother Ali is fast becoming a stalwart of a rap industry that falls between two stools: the conscious grafters who stay below the radar and the 'stars' who get the fame and fortune, but don't move the art form forward. If anything, the Lil Wayne’s of the rap world bring it back to its more vapid, party-orientated days. Not that I'm hating on the latter, but Brother Ali's blend of bluesy and intelligent hip-hop is a rare breed, even rarer for it to be heard live.
Going on the evidence tonight, Hip-hop has lost a lot of its angry, unfocused energy and managed to make 'golden age' generational fans proud, whilst picking up new heads along the way. Words like ‘edutainment’ have been absent in rap circles ever since KRS-1 lost his relevance; but Brother Ali's picked up the mantel and ran with it.
Ali’s paid homage to rappers like Public Enemy and Ice Cube and moved things on a pace. It has nothing to do with colour; it has everything to do with attitude. He’s the keeping-it-real face of mature hip-hop for cats that like to think beyond the blunt and the cheap fumble. Masta Ace once said: 'Take a Look Around.' -you couldn't have a better guide that Brother Ali.
After a schizophrenic summer in London, where the sun shone sporadically, this concert, featuring Minnesota based Brother Ali, was prefaced by an all-day downpour, which, thankfully, didn't dampen the spirit of the sold-out crowd at the intimate Barfly.
Sporting a green Adidas tracksuit with gold stripes, contrasting with his highly publicised, but never exploited Albino skin, Brother Ali cut a stocky, cuddly figure as he took to the stage. Having a self-effacing, good-natured vibe about him, he got the crowd on side with tracks from his new album 'US' (Rymesayers Entertainment) which deals with such diverse subjects as his family ('Preacher', featuring an infectious drum and trumpet pattern); positive thinking and self-belief ('Crown Jewels'); poverty ('House Keys'); and the immigration experience ('The Travelers').
Equally diverse is the production from Ant, from underground rap group Atmosphere. Using DATS featuring funky trumpets, guitars, drums and pianos, Brother Ali took his audience on a journey of reflective, almost bluesy tranquillity- as if rap had finally grown up from its angry roots and successfully channelled its frustrations.
To balance the seriousness of some of his themes and rhymes Brother Ali knew when the time was right to show his sense of humour. He goofed off with some witty anecdotes and let his DJ BK-One show off his talents with a Latin American inspired, electrically funky mix of carefully thought out production and turntable wizardry.
Brother Ali is fast becoming a stalwart of a rap industry that falls between two stools: the conscious grafters who stay below the radar and the 'stars' who get the fame and fortune, but don't move the art form forward. If anything, the Lil Wayne’s of the rap world bring it back to its more vapid, party-orientated days. Not that I'm hating on the latter, but Brother Ali's blend of bluesy and intelligent hip-hop is a rare breed, even rarer for it to be heard live.
Going on the evidence tonight, Hip-hop has lost a lot of its angry, unfocused energy and managed to make 'golden age' generational fans proud, whilst picking up new heads along the way. Words like ‘edutainment’ have been absent in rap circles ever since KRS-1 lost his relevance; but Brother Ali's picked up the mantel and ran with it.
Ali’s paid homage to rappers like Public Enemy and Ice Cube and moved things on a pace. It has nothing to do with colour; it has everything to do with attitude. He’s the keeping-it-real face of mature hip-hop for cats that like to think beyond the blunt and the cheap fumble. Masta Ace once said: 'Take a Look Around.' -you couldn't have a better guide that Brother Ali.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
