Killah Priest - Elizabeth
so Killah Priest released an album a couple weeks ago...seems like not too many people realized that. Or at least many of those that knew about it didn't peep it for whatever reason, whether it be hate for the album's producer DJ Woool (every single track) or really low expectations since it seemingly popped up outta nowhere and many think Priest is overdoing it..
well, regardless, Killah Priest is undoubtedly one of the most (arguably THE most) talented lyricists ever produced by Wu and so anything he puts out should be worth checking..
here's my thoughts:
do i think Priest is a genius? Yes
is this his best music? No..
but it ain't horrible..Priest is lyrically at an absolute peak right now and, although some say he's releasing TOO much and thus stretching himself too thin, he's putting out an insane amount of material--mostly quality material..
his only problem is DJ Woool..the producer's received a shitload of hate in the past but the problem isn't that he's so terrible (he has a few good beats on this album) it's that Priest uses him way too much. If I'm not mistaken, he's already done 2 or 3 full albums (or mixtapes) with him. Again, he ain't the WORST producer in the world--his samples usually seem to fit Priest pretty well---but he's prone to some whackness at times and his beats can get boring or repetitive real quick.
This album suffers from too much Woool and, in fact, this album alone is a good example of the argument some have made that he puts out TOO MUCH material (which, for as dope an emcee as Priest, would sound strange---who doesn't want more KP?).. There's really too many songs on here. He could've cut off a few boring or unspectacular ones and it would've probably let the better songs shine brighter and made the album easier to listen to.....(With all that said, i do feel strange complaining about too many tracks. I always want a long album with as many tracks as possible)
the good songs are REALLY good, at least lyrically, and thus when i'm rating them in this case I'm mainly focusing on the lyrics..5 outta 5 here ain't nearly the same as other albums I've reviewed.
The theme is dark, the title referring to Elizabeth Bathory, one of the most famed serial killers in history and most of the songs have a dark murky feel to them
1. Intro
that perfect dark and KP vibe to spark it off, Priest spittin slowly (VERY slow track) and dark like he's possessed in a fuckin seance. The man has been absolutely ON FIRE with his pen for a while now and this album just shows it's comin real easy for him lyrically right now..
Pretty cool sample to fade out and lead into the next track, crazy epic movie shit..
4/5
2. Sword Clan
"galactic guardian rap, what u chargin for tracks?"
fast paced and Priest just fuckin goes in..second verse with all the comic book references is INSANE and the beat is nice too..
5/5
3. To Be King
bangin-ass drums..
"I spit, see divinity combinin wit flesh"
too many sick lines on this album, every single track has SICK sentences that shine when stuck in your head and your walkin around recitin it..SMOKE A GOLDEN NUGGET and absorb the second verse on this joint, SHIT IS EPIC HIP HOP!
I've said it before in other KP reviews and shit: the Sun of Man is undoubtedly one of the most talented individuals to ever touch a mic without a DOUBT..
5/5
4. The 7 Crowns of God
the first track we heard that was leaked from the album....the beat annoys me and it's a problem when the beat is too annoying for me to withstand it for the lyrics..but these lyrics are worth it
he's definitely got a tendency to hit hardest with the 2nd verse in alotta these songs, this is an awesome picture:
One day riding my scooter
The wheels came off became horses
The seat became a chariot
My yard into a fortress
I'm sitting off a cliff
The sky open, begin talking
Telling me my fortunes
Saying I should be hit with stones
They should break my bones
Leave me on the ground and die all alone
But out ya bones: I will stack it like LEGOS
The dirt I will stretch it out like Play-Doh
And form a body, than breathe the breath of life
You will be resurrected with mics
Than form a hex with light
There will be no copies, you are mine
^think about that....GODLY craft
and verse three with this insane quotable:
"
The secret private life of plants
The diligent and militant
Commodity and colonies of ants
The spiritual and telekinetic mind of children
All rolled up in rhymes that are chilling”
5/5 entirely for the rhymes..
5. Drama
beat definitely ain't bad but kinda bores me for some reason..something lulling about Woool's beats sometimes..THE LYRICS ARE INSANE AGAIN..i think it was food for thought (but i could be wrong) who said this album needs to be listened to while reading the lyrics to fully appreciate it..Cuz honestly, for me, the lyrics weren't hittin me at first. I was letting myself get bored by his flow and the beats, most of which I ain't feelin that much..But this album is a lyrical display of excellence
4/5
6. Trapped
one thing about Priest that becomes apparent because of the style of this album (him just spittin rhymes, not too much editing or punches or experimental shit)--when he strays away from the verse, whether in chorus or just talking, it's hilarious at times...He's a naturally funny dude, I Killed the Devil Last Night proved that too ---that cd is hilarious at times..
both verses are just painting sick landscapes and scenes that focus on rebirth and the infinite repetition of lives when your trapped as in a cycle of karma..
4/5
7. Dead
beat bores me, lyrics are tight---painting more scenes...this album is ripe for remixes
3/5
8. I
I’m gonna start leaving the comments on the beat til the end with a brief sentence (cuz alotta times it’s “the beat is lame”)
Priest starts right off the bat saying straight up that most emcees nowadays are boring as FUCK saying the same shit, and Priest’s brain has seemingly infinite material at his exposure (although you could accuse him of staying on the same theme a lot, he’s put out—what?—10 albums/mixtapes by now? And when you pay attention to the lyrics, he AIN’T getting weaker):
“I stare in the mirror and see infinity
Deep entities, galaxies and planets”
The lyrics are epic yet again, just read em..write em down if you have to—trust me they're insane, take it from Priest: “My rap's adventure is endless, My poetry is strong, my art's pure”
Beat is ehh…withstandable for the lyrics
4/5
9. Rise
He mentions in this song “they call me water-head” which must refer to his unceasing outpouring of lyrics, funny ending to the song:
Its Priest again y'all Walter's dead
Nah, its Walter again y'all, Priest is on his death bed
Who knows which way it goes, let's call him Priesthood instead
4/5
10. How Much
Unusually dope beat from Woool with a sick guitar sample..Priest is poetically at the street level instead of outerspace or psychic space..
5/5
11. Interlude
dope sample..
12. Murdah Murdah at Dawn
remaining at the street level he paints dark cinematic pictures…Priest really has a tendency to make the life of the streets and projects seem like some dark European town in the 1600s or something..
3/5
13. Let Us Pray
Priest is never absolutely whack but I don’t like the beat, flow or lyrics on this track
2/5
14. Diagnose
more insane writing, the pen writing about itself..one of my favorites on the album, Priest once again GOES IN—taps fully into the his sick visual lyrical ability….He suggests (at the end of each verse) that the listener go grab a roach and spark it and listen to this shit….It took me a few blazed listens to grasp the lyrical awesomeness of this album..
5/5
15. What U Want
this album has some awesome shit and some hard-to-listen-to shit...this is one of the latter..
2/5
16. Color of Murder 2 (Old Castle Hop)
A sick writer, when Priest actually focuses on a specific topic he’s not to be fucked with. This whole track he’s describing the various tortures that he delivers, in the vein of Elizabeth, here’s an example:
“Water torture; turn my back, here comes Walter
Blood slaughter, drip, drip, drip
Till it's like a boulder falling on ya head
Ya friends, ya bird, ya dog, all are dead
Depending on ya crime, sentences is the rhyme
How about tearing off ya clothes
Burying you into the snow, up to ya nose
Let any animal or insect eat at you slow
Chewing thru ya bones
Scream as loud as you want, we're all alone
I will let you call ya moms but no bars on my phone!”
HAHA!!
4/5
17. Jacob Never Died
one of the better beats on the album and it’s a got a great tempo. Priest flows nice and quick on it..
4/5
18. Confession Booth
This track is alone is probably worth the price of the album. As the title suggests, Priest is just pouring out the story of his history and the things experienced in the game in great detail. His total history with Wu, the 4 Horsemen, and Sunz of Man is described.
In the third verse he discusses SOM and it’s sad how that group hasn’t been able to reach it’s potential* because of bullshit issues—that emotion comes out in his voice.
*think about it, for as good an album as Last Shall Be First is, imagine if it had Shabazz the Disciple as a member on it…and consider also that all of these dudes (Priest, Hell Razah, Prodigal) are all still rapping, none of them are dead, but they’ve really put out ONE album as a group, excluding Saviorz Day which was Priest-less…It’s a shame but hopefully some day M-Eighty or somebody can unite them all and put together an album
5/5 for the words
19. Be Careful
one of the record’s better beats. Although Priest’s first verse is pretty dope (almost comically dope) the other ones ain’t as good..
3/5
20. Truth (Turn off the Radio)
some dope quotables like “when bad luck called, I spoke in other languages” but the lyrical performance can’t quite make up for the beat’s 1980s-sounding whackness..
2/5
21. Street Matrix
exactly what the title suggests, Priest describing crazy sci-fi visions of the streets..his writing is INSANE when you zoom in on what he’s saying, chorus is kinda boring and beat has pretty good drums but the sample is repetitive enough to give a headache..
3/5
22. Real Rap Shit
Priest is hype as FUUUUUUCK on this one, “Jesus on ecstasy pills”---as he gets towards the end (he spits 4 verses!) he’s almost screaming.. The beat is pretty bad but it’s got an eeriness, like it sampled some old horror flick and it works well along with Priest’s spazzing out..
4/5
23. Assignment
a few crazy lines but a pretty unspectacular song…kinda boring
2/5
24. The God Within
some pretty dope descriptions of how Priest taps into the eternal divine when writing his lyrics but nothing amazing..
3/5
OVERALL:
Lyrics 4/5
Beats 2/5
6 outta 10
there's alotta good shit but also a bunch of boring beats and skippable tracks, practically falls of a cliff the last 3rd of the album..
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Originally Posted by 11th Chamber
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