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Thread: Timbo King "From Babylon to Timbuk2" FULL ALBUM REVIEW

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    king disguised as beggar. the silencer's Avatar
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    Default Timbo King "From Babylon to Timbuk2" FULL ALBUM REVIEW


    (art by Gary Alford)




    Timbo King - From Babylon to Timbuk2



    "Nothin but experience placed upon the track" - Cappadonna

    The situation with Timbo King reminds me a little bit of Cormega, another New York City street legend emcee who had to wait years until he could shine on a solo album, then he finally dropped The Realness in 2001 and everybody was blown away. Brooklyn bar-crafter Bo King swung swords with Wu in their 90s prime and more than held his own with the generals. Never one to be outshined on a track no matter who shares the mic with him, he's gained and kept a reputation for being a certifiably dope emcee despite never releasing his own album.

    His first full-length record is lyrically rich and pleasantly consistent with the beats. The well-known golden voice (similar to Jay-Z without the whimpering and with a heavy, blunt-tarred esophageal resonance) holds down a full cd very well and extended exposure to Timbo's writing makes one begin to see him as a worthy contemporary to Gza, Killah Priest, Hell Razah, and Shabazz the Disciple when it comes to crafting poetry. He also seems to bring something to the table that those artists rarely do: humor.

    He's sharp with the wit while also bringing the light of wisdom. There are some very entertaining guest appearances but the spotlight is emphatically Timbo on here and it's refreshing to finally hear him get his shot. The production was handled very well, mostly by Bronze Nazareth, BP, and Dev-1 (who produced this legendary Timbo banger) giving the album a very cohesive musical feel.


    1. The Book of Timothy
    prod by Bronze Nazareth


    Applause opens this auditory session as the drum loop of a beat begins quietly. A speaker addresses the clapping crowd and explains that it's been a while and he's been through a "metamorphosis." It is with a "renewed resolve" that he has now come back "to speak on some things." Great way to introduce the well-traveled and experienced Timbo King's album.

    "This the truth, you won't find it in no library
    written by the Timbo King so get ya mind ready"

    Get ya mind ready, the same words from his monumental opening of The Swarm album in '98 (a song whose video displays a spaceship crashing into and destroying the World Trade Center).

    Bo King delivers a short hymn, a sort of prayer or incantation that flows with poetic meter while not actually rhyming.

    "the Book of Timothy, chapters of universal truth"

    The idea of "universal truth" is introduced and it recurs throughout the album, which is a sort of musical semester at the "Timbuktu University of Truth." Open ya books up! he yells in the background.

    "justice still remains blind, I'm here to unmask the veil, see the light thru the vessels of my overstanding"

    The beat is a nice little drum loop and strumming bassline along with some weaving violin strings that add an extra enchantment to Timbo's unfurling of a mini scroll. What he calmly delivers is a mix of biographical, mythological, spiritual elements touching on all kinds of different levels in a brief space. Some dope heavy mental writing from an artist I've always seen as standing on the Hell Razah, Killah Priest level lyrically. "The temple of truth, within the clusters of my thoughts/balanced chi, self-teachings"

    "Journey til the last question, the first answers"

    sick opening

    4/5

    2. Wardance ft The Rza
    prod. by Vinny Idol


    This is a familiar song but Rza hops on to this version and adds some crazy "budududududu" calls and introduces Timbo and the revival of the Wu tribes. Maybe not a great idea to open up with a track that's floated around for a year or so (especially cuz Timbo has been known to repeat verses so often in the past), but it's still relatively new and completely brand new to many (I had only heard it once or twice). Above all, it's definitely a lively way to open the album.

    The beat has a CRUNCH to it, just nasty loud drums and hard bass. Rza has called upon the "chiefs" of the Wu tribes so that the "Wu-Tang empire shall rise again" and Timbo delivers two heavyweight verses.

    "what you lying for? Silent Weapons, Quiet Wars"

    There are a bunch of crazy lines on the track as he maintains the tribal landscape with peace pipes, temples, a bunch of Indian tribe names in the first verse and the enters into a more Egyptian and "biblical holy rap" in the second verse.

    "Bo, that indian giver! Here to take it back..."

    4/5


    3. Bar Exam
    prod by BP


    A gorgeous beat; quick pace with funk flavor and Timbo's flow is superb with sharply delivered poison-tipped darts. "I move like the speed of light thru the wilderness."

    We're only on the second track and it's already clear Timbo, despite this being his first solo album, is a ridiculously all-around skilled emcee. He brings a nonstop rapid drop of explosive lines like these:

    "I build pyramids and spit prayers,
    to my felons in the upper tiers
    send kites, use the atmosphere"

    Two uninterrupted verses before a closing refrain that includes the words "a civilized man coming outta them precincts" as though we've just passed the exam and are out of our mental prisons.

    This track is superb. BP and Bronze get the majority of the production duty on the album and I gotta say, BP really has a number of shining moments including this one.

    5/5


    4. From Babylon to Timbuktu ft William Cooper
    prod by BP


    A quote from the climactic ending of "Belly" opens here, familiar to Bronze fans since it appeared at length on the first Thought for Food tape.

    Though the loop is short and repetitive, the sample that pops in occasionally is ridiculous and the drums are heavy and BANGIN to the highest degree, crazy percussion on here.

    Timbo has a pretty short verse and it's all about Judas-type snakes, snitches, etc. "Always dancing with the tongue, yeah you Lucifer son." Plenty of violent wordplay as he promises repercussions on those who "cross Bo"...

    William Coop comes on and murks this. Even though it's the title track this feels like Will Coop's moment as he sounds great on this beat and raps for a while.

    4/5


    5. The Two Babylonians (Interlude)
    prod by Bronze Nazareth


    Another ill beat. Layers of multiple horns, choral crooning voices, and hard drum loop snapping in. A sample of children's voices talk about school, little boy asks, "you sure you're old enough to go to school?" to a whiny little girl. That whiny little girl represents those who might listen to this album, enter this school, then bitch and complain because so much of the lyrical material is flying over their heads.

    4/5

    6. High Ranking ft R.A. the Rugged Man
    prod by Bronze Nazareth

    It's nice to hear Bronze's beats mastered well, the drums knock on this one and there's a great bouncing bass guitar in the background.

    Some smooth wordplay from Timbo and an absolutely ridiculous delivery from the Rugged Man (as always) on this pretty humorous track that's overflowing with exaggerated insults and schoolyard ragging. The name of the track had me expecting some army brigade material but this is actually "high ranking" in the sense of gettin high and then trying to outdo each other with nastier insults and jokes. The recipe works well as both emcees have some crazy colorful stuff to say.

    "Uncle is ya father's daughter, toilet bowl is outta water" Timbo says in the chorus.

    R.A. the Rugged Man is a machine, he just unloads with that nonstop fire, flamethrower flow saying stuff like "Ya momma so fat and old she use a VCR for a beeper, ya grandmama penny-pinching haggling, ya grandaddy was alligator wrasslin, ya glasses nerdier than Raj from What's Happening, ya demeanor make RuPaul look masculine, I'm in Europe you at the corner store, that's your idea of traveling"

    Very good track.

    4.5/5


    7. Show Us the Way
    prod by Dev-1


    One of my favorite tracks. Really nice loop, one of three excellent beats that Dev-1 brought to this record. Has a great vibe and bounce to it and Bo just has that natural gift for strolling over beats with a peripatetic vibe to his lyrics. During some parts it's as though he went in the booth and just flowed off the dome because he's so easily in tune with the beat, he even jumps in and out perfectly at times, particularly a brief pause where he seems to be catching his breath and he returns with "inhale OG kush and drink berries."

    With that deep voice, he's got a knack for choruses and this is another dope one.

    5/5

    8. Outside Intelligence ft Killah Priest, Beazy
    prod by BP


    Beazy's singing chorus is grating to my ears but the lyrics from Priest and TK are hard as a meteorite. The beat is BP's worst on the album but both Timbo and KP are nevertheless amped and bring their best on the mic. Priest is angry and crushing the microphone into dust, he "steps upon planets/on top of the universe standing" and then Timbo responds in his second verse by lowering his already deep voice, almost like he's mimicking Priest.

    Despite solid lyrics this is a skippable track, especially since the next few are so good.

    3/5


    9. Identity Crisis (Interlude)
    prod by Bronze Nazareth


    This is an intro to the next track and these two joints combine for my favorite part of the album beat-wise. Bronze with a somber, ponderous reel of peaceful sounds and violent descriptions, adeptly chopped clips of news interviews, reports, etc of (what I think is) the Columbine school massacre. "Sit down with ya kids and make em study at night" a father implores to a crowd.

    5/5

    10. Youth
    prod by Bronze Nazareth


    Great Bronze joint, the epitome of soulful. The beautiful melody of singing voices is maybe a bit too low volume-wise compared to the drums and bass, but it's such a nice song that it'll always be played loud anyway. A great hook and lyrics from Tim but the beat is ultimately the highlight of this amazing track. The 2nd verse has some engaging personal poetry as he remembers grandma catching him in the house "smoking blunts, put me on punishment for that whole month" and pays respects to his deceased grandmoms. "I miss you so much, i know you in heaven now lookin over us"

    For such a deep and soulful joint the heavy drums are weaved into the beat masterfully.

    5/5


    11. The Autobiography of Timothy Drayton
    prod by Lil Fame


    The beat, the flavor of this song fits so perfectly with the rest of this album. Overall, Timbuktu is a great cohesive piece of music. Timbo undoubtedly has a great ear for beats. This one from M.O.P.'s Lil Fame has an emotive saxophone and tapping snares over bangin bass.

    Timbo tells his entire biography through rhyme (in less than 4 minutes) from his upbringing, family household and schooldays, to running through "a slew of emcees" in the streets, recording demos, signing a deal with Rza and Wu-Tang ("no regrets how I feel, bad management still"), his struggles in the music industry, getting blacklisted by the major labels, and onto a poetic assessment of his current situation. "Look at me, young spirit / I ain't old in the face/ there's still a market for a seasoned vet, digital space."

    Really nice song. Skills on display while narrating his background in detail, Timbo is certainly versatile in his ability to express himself lyrically. "I been through hell and back twice in Lucifer's ride" - "Hear the truth from a changed man, now I'm wise"

    4/5


    12. The Rebellion ft Hell Razah, Jr. Reid
    prod by Dev-1


    Looking at the tracklist when it first appeared, this was a title that stood out. And it's about as dope as you would've expected. Another great beat from Dev-1, a blaring horn loop with some Bob Marley revolutionary flavor while Hell Razah steps in for his only appearance on the album with a nice verse.

    Junior Reid's "smoke from my burning fire" chorus blends perfectly with the beat and then Timbo delivers what might be his best verse on the album. "Walkin down mountains slow/ lost souls wanderin/ in the valleys below." Great track in every respect.

    5/5


    13. Tombstone
    prod by Bronze Nazareth


    Colorful drum kicks and a gritty little twirling guitar loop from Bronze with a brilliant Witty Unpredictable lyrical massacre from Bo King. "I name you then put ya government on the tomb," Timbo warns as he uses record executive names as the material for his lyrics. The track immediately reminded me of Gza's "Labels" in which he uses record company names and rips them with sick wordplay and, as it turns out, Gza got the idea for that song from Timbo back in the day.

    Most of the names are probably unfamiliar to anyone outside the music business but the overall theme of the song feels like an old western flick with somebody getting revenge on everyone who crossed him. His energy and delivery really stand out on here. Timbo's always had that silver voice that can make anything he says sound like the coolest shit ever.

    The message of this song is major, most fans don't realize how much these shady record execs have fucked things up for hip hop over the years. "Can you handle the industry scandals?"

    4.5/5


    14. Book Value
    prod by Dev-1


    13 tracks deep and we're still getting dope joints like this one. There shouldn't be any question about whether Timbo King can hold down a full album on his own. Really, it's incredible that it's taken this long for him to drop a solo LP because he can clearly craft a full-length gem.

    This one consists of a couple of strong verses over a nice, dusty loop. The theme seems to revolve around the book "From Babylon to Timbuktu" by Rudolph Windsor. The song is good overall but the hook can tend to get boring.

    4/5


    15. Brain Food ft Keisha, Akir, Vision
    prod by Akir


    It's a shame that the flow of this album had to be interrupted by this crappy track. In a record with a largely cohesive feel, this one just doesn't fit. The beat is way too electronic-sounding, with extremely heavy bass and not much else. The singing from Keisha sounds pretty bad, reminiscent of Rza's embarrassing forays into having random chicks singing on his tracks.

    The Timbo verse is actually very good, maybe that's why he included this track on the album but the other two emcees are nothing special at all. Hard to listen to this track.

    2.5/5

    16. Timbuktu
    prod by Bronze Nazareth


    Returning the album back to its grittyness is this short track that opens with a sample from an old movie, sounding something like Charles Bronson meets Bruce Lee. The beat kicks in and Timbo repeats a hook then spits a brief verse filled with names of his old acquaintances. The verse fades off bringing us to the last two tracks of the album, both bangers.

    4/5

    17. Thinking Cap
    prod by Bronze Nazareth


    "Kinetics from the oblongata throw you out the booth"

    This is probably the roughest beat on the album. Only thing that comes close is the final track (such a great way to conclude the album). A certified Wu banger, the bass drum strikes so hard that it rumbles, the snares are neck snapping, and the sample sounds twisted, the sound of a mind slowly going insane.

    Bo King brings a memorable chorus ("Keep ya thinking cap on..") and deepens his voice to deliver a hardcore verse of metaphors and wordplay. For the most part, he rips it---"I can find a turntable needle in a haystack"---but towards the end he seems to be running out of things to say and even resorts to spitting a few familiar bars from an old Maccabeez song (admittedly, an obsure one---"Immaculate Spittin" it's called). Still a great track, though.

    5/5

    18. Ruling Class
    prod by BP


    There are actually two songs here and they are both superb. The first song is all jewel metaphors over a great beat. Then the beat suddenly flips to a new song and it's a BANGER. Timbo calls on us to "look deep inside ya soul, find your true craft" and then proceeds to unleash three ridiculous verses. Great way to close out a very strong album. It's not often that a record concludes with such an abundance of dopeness (four verses in all plus two nice beats).

    5/5



    LYRICS 4.5/5
    BEATS 4/5
    OVERALL: 8.5 out of 10

    Averaging the ratings I gave for each track comes out to exactly 8.5 out of 10 which perfectly captures how I feel about the album overall. It's a great collection of verses, choruses, and beats that maintain a consistent sound. High quality hip hop. It feels very much like Hell Razah's last album and that's high praise. It might even be a notch above Heaven Razah because it has fewer skippable moments (I actually gave Heaven Razah the same rating in my review). If you remove "Brain Food" and throw in another track from Bronze or BP (or maybe even Godz Wrath), it might be a perfect album. As it stands, I think Wu heads will be rejoicing over this one.
    Last edited by the silencer; 01-13-2012 at 11:38 PM.

  2. #2
    Killer Bob claaa7's Avatar
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    sounds very promising. where did you hear this album though Silencer?



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    aka Orion Zemo RADIOACTIVE MAN's Avatar
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    now im really hyped for this

  4. #4
    king disguised as beggar. the silencer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by claaa7 View Post
    sounds very promising. where did you hear this album though Silencer?

    Exclusive album preview session

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    Winter is Coming THE MASON's Avatar
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    ^bastard

    dope review tho, defintiely hyped for this album. Timbo prolly my favourite Killa Bee, son been doin it for ages now, good to see a full solo finally

  6. #6

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    cant wait for this

  7. #7

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    when does this drop again

  8. #8

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    the 30th I believe, PEACE.

    but real talk, I just gotta say I love the wu camp. what camp from the golden era is dropping solid material constantly? no group comes close to the wu fam

  9. #9

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    you make this sound pretty awesome.
    can't wait for it to le...uh, i mean...to cop it. yeah.

  10. #10
    -Diamond in the Rough- 3rdEyeVizion's Avatar
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    Dope ass review. Props

  11. #11

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    Can't wait

  12. #12
    Winter is Coming THE MASON's Avatar
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    but real talk, I just gotta say I love the wu camp. what camp from the golden era is dropping solid material constantly? no group comes close to the wu fam
    must not pay attention, cause BCC been steady fuckin shit up for 15 years.

    still for me this will be one of the better releases, as long as the beats are right. Timbo is an outstanding emcee and this is a long time coming

  13. #13
    PRODIGAL SUN
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    you should review my album
    CHAMBERMUSIK RECORDS/ CHAMBERMUSIK SPECIAL PRODUCTS DOES NOT ENDORSE ANYTHING SAID OR WRITTEN BY THIS MESSAGE BOARD USER NAME!!!

    "Sign Of The Times" coming soon


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    ISRAELITE THE W's Avatar
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    Christianity = White Supremacy

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    Youth is my shit !

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