Sole
Live From Rome
Anticon

The third album from this Anticon staple unsurprisingly makes no bones about being honest about the world. And, as we all know, things ain't going too well these days. They say bad times make for great music, and I think nowhere is that more apparent than in the annals of Anticon.

"I continue about my rituals, I mean my routines, in a sloppy, angry way"

Being mad and outing with it is something that is hard to do, in music especially, but certainly in all of the media. Sole is well aware that a subtle sense of humor can temper the monotony of anger at what's happening in the world. This is perhaps even more apparent on this particular Sole album than on his previous efforts, because since Sole's 2nd album, he's moved from Cali to Spain and gotten married.

"My ex-governer is an ex-nazi's son"

Several of the usual suspects make contributions to this album. The beats are done by Telefone Jim Jesus, Odd Nosdam, and Controller 7. One song was written by Pedestrian. Bleubird is also featured on a song. These contributions are topnotch, which brings me to one small complaint I do have about this album: the production (which Anticon is always lauded for) is often too muddy for the beats, which are good enough to be more present/clear and less covered up by mud-bass.

This album is mostly predicated on Sole's words, which are undescribable. But for one thing, he's not a poet, he's Sole. And he's not up there fantasizing, he's talking about the realest shit. Sole's flow is unrelenting, and takes you down many trails. The arrangement is made extremely interesting here because it simply follows these lyrical trails that Sole sets up.

All in all it is really an incredible collaborative effort from some of the most vital variables of hip-hop culture. Attacks of being white or other such nonsense does happen to these people from time to time, but this is no kind of era for such foolishness. Float on Anticon, you're helping this place.

"Hey, hey, bring that beat back. Y'all want to hear that beat don't you?"
"When everyone you know on Earth has grey hair."
"This doesn't go on your desk to cover up drawing space"
"This is to be swept under the rug until the rug disappears. This is to replace the currency, become a congressman-teacher-publisher-poet-philanthropists"
"Because money doesn't care who burns it"
"Doom doom Doom doom Doom doom Doom doom"

PS. If you're not too keen on the Anticon crew, or are new to these people, and would like to check out a couple of the best songs off this album, these would be my picks: Track 1 - "Cheap Entertainment", Track 2 - "Self Inflicted Woulds", Track 7 - "Every Single One of Us", Track 13 - "Dumb This Down", Track 14 - "I'm So Tired", and Track 15 - "On Martyrdom". Especially Tracks 13 and 15.

Copyright © 2005 Bill Banks