Friday, May 13, 2011

Reks – R.E.K.S. (2011) - Review

Reks – R.E.K.S. (Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme)
Reks has a raw rhythmic flow that tackles concepts with excellent wordplay and lyrics. He is not satisfied to merely have his fans listen – rather, he expects them to interact with his music and be engaged (deriving meaning from his lyrics). From the first track (25th Hour) on, it is clear that Reks is one of the best MCs right now (listening to the song the first time, all I could think was ‘man, Reks is just dope’). He has the skill and voice to be bigger in the rap game (and there is a sense on song like Kill Em and This or That that he thinks he should be), but the musical sound that accompanies his rhythms has an distinctly underground/indie sound to it – which works well with his voice but does hold him back from more popularity (not that he wants to try his hand rapping over tracks from Cool & Dre or The Neptunes). Plus, the album is very critical of the lyrical content on many popular hip hop artists. And, I think the beats he chooses match his voice well. On this album he works with a great group of producers from legends like DJ Premier, Pete Rock, The Alchemist, and Hi-Tek to good underground artists like Sean C & LV, Nottz and frequent collaborator Statik Selektah.  In terms of features, there are very few which allows the listener to really get a sense for what Reks’s message is on the album, without multiple voices. Styles P (who is on The Alchemist produced track Why Cry, which has a cool unique beat), Freeway, Lil Fame, and Termanology feature on the album, with the later standing out the most trading bars on the track Face Off. All in all, this is a very good album, which again establishes Reks among the best indie hip hop artists right now. 4/5

Editor’s Song Picks:
1)      25th Hour – Produced by DJ Premier
2)      Kill Em – Produced by Sean C & LV
3)      This or That – Produced by Statik Selektah

Available on CD and Digital Download

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