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CunninLynguists Interview
CunninLynguists Interview about Their Dirty Acres Album, Their Views on The Rap Game and More
CUNNINLYNGUISTS
(November, 2007)
(Album review by C. Bonett, TheStateofHipHop.com)
Last month I extended an invitation for Cunninlynguists to stop
by The State of Hip Hop and let us pick their brains a little
bit before the release of their latest album, Dirty Acres on November 27, 2007.
The result was TSOHH getting a sneak peek at the album. I decided to
do a review followed by an interview that should definitely answer a
lot of the questions that fans have for the trio.
As you know TSOHH's focus is on providing aspiring MCs with resources to help them with their pursuits in hip hop. Believe that we will touch on that in the interview, but first I have to give my breakdown of the Dirty Acres LP which came to me as a very pleasant surprise.
We all know that some albums have impressive singles but are not worth the $14.99. Dirty Acres is not one of those albums. Though not every song on Dirty Acres is necessarily a "certified banger", this is an awesome album with some absolutely amazing and potentially very profitable singles (if the right outlets get their hands on them).
Throughout the album Deacon and Natti emphasize the dirtiness of U.S. soil and the album never quite leaves the nostalgic twilight zone of Southern despair. Yet Dirty Acres is not a depressing album as many songs leave you feeling energized if not hopeful for the future…your future. That is if you are inspired by hard raps and dope beats.
"Valley of Death" sets things off hitting you like Nas' opener on Stillmatic, or Jay-Z's opener on The Blueprint…hard! Kno displays a sample of things to come on one of the album's hottest beats. Natti is forceful as usual in his opening declarations. My only regret about the track is that it was not longer.
The album's title track epitomizes the backward lives of those oppressed through a history of overt actions taken by the state. Though mellower than the tracks that sandwich it, "Dirty Acres" definitely serves its purpose as a title track as it thoroughly wraps up the point of the album.
With both Deacon The Villain and Natti hailing from Kentucky, "KKKY" gives the album its necessary Kentucky anthem and does not disappoint. It's also a little short but this time it's just right.
"Wonderful" is a track that has just recently been released as the third single (unofficially) from the album and has the feel of a Masta Ace-type love joint. Though a good song, I personally feel like the track sounds a little dated but I know plenty of people personally and on the Net who are really feeling it, and I must say it does grow on you. Either way it nicely sets up one of the best tracks on the album, "Yellow Lines". Kno absolutely outdoes himself on this track as a producer. Simple and laidback never sounded so good. The track has got to be destined as an underground classic. Phonte of Little Brother and Witchdoctor of the Dungeon Family shine bright on this song, not to be outdone by Natti or Deacon on the hook. Check out the "Yellow Lines" lyrics here.
"Gun" featuring Sheisty Khrist is not only an ode to Amadou Diallo but also covers the concept of the power of the gun in general.
"Dance For Me" has somewhat of a creepy feel for me. It's the story of a fallen girl named Emily that perhaps embodies the countless girls on a downward spiral in life. It is more melancholic than depressing but I can see the argument for both.
"Georgia" is an homage to Kno's home state though not quite the typical homage as he makes sure to mention the state's history of racism (Do yall have time to discuss God's grace/ if you're too busy studying the color of a face?/ I don't follow man to avoid the disgrace/ of the closed-minded culprits of Southern mistakes). Natti takes a different approach to the song's theme but still delivers a decent verse on this mellow track.
The last two songs on the album feature some of the LP's top beats. "Things I Dream" has a monstrous beat with a gentle hook. This song is amazing but I can't get over the fact that Kno could have taken the hook to new heights by perhaps adding another melodic layer to it. I won't say more except that you should really listen to the track.
And finally we have my personal favorite track on the album, "Mexico". This is another song that I can easily see on MTV2 if not MTV (if it only had a video). The hook reaches out to the rappers' main girl, "I know these dreams are make-believe but I don't think we should let 'em go/ They promise you Rome or San Tropez, but one day we might make it to Mexico". It has a real genuine feel that I'm sure millions of up-and-comers will relate to. The song will make you smile with it's optimism. This record will be on repeat in my CD player for a while. The electric guitar suits this beat perfectly. A must listen.
As powerful as Deacon The Villain can be lyrically he seems to be a little less present on the album, but only slightly. Maybe it's just that I would have liked to hear more of him.
Just like A Piece of Strange, I consider this somewhat of a concept album. Though not plainly evident, each song seems to be ordered in a precise way as to convey a message that I'll leave for all the other Cunninlynguists fans to decipher.
This finally brings me to why I was surprised by the album. Cunninlynguists fans have long been used to witty metaphors and mind bending wordplay, and that is all still here. What may surprise you is that the dirtiness of Will Rap For Food has been long replaced with a sophisticated display of substantive lyrics which first showed their face on A Piece of Strange. This is the type of underground material that can easily find its way onto the radio. Whether it be the goal or not, Dirty Acres has brought the group within moments of blowing up.
The CunninLynguists have arrived...the world is on notice.
"The MCs' too dark, the producer
too white/ Fam the lyrics too loose, man the beats are too tight"
-Natti
INTERVIEW COMING SOON...
Enjoy
this CunninLynguists Interview? Listen to and buy Dirty Acres
here, plus find everything else CunninLynguists on their official MySpace
page!
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(November, 2007)
(Album review by C. Bonett, TheStateofHipHop.com)
 |
As you know TSOHH's focus is on providing aspiring MCs with resources to help them with their pursuits in hip hop. Believe that we will touch on that in the interview, but first I have to give my breakdown of the Dirty Acres LP which came to me as a very pleasant surprise.
We all know that some albums have impressive singles but are not worth the $14.99. Dirty Acres is not one of those albums. Though not every song on Dirty Acres is necessarily a "certified banger", this is an awesome album with some absolutely amazing and potentially very profitable singles (if the right outlets get their hands on them).
Throughout the album Deacon and Natti emphasize the dirtiness of U.S. soil and the album never quite leaves the nostalgic twilight zone of Southern despair. Yet Dirty Acres is not a depressing album as many songs leave you feeling energized if not hopeful for the future…your future. That is if you are inspired by hard raps and dope beats.
"Valley of Death" sets things off hitting you like Nas' opener on Stillmatic, or Jay-Z's opener on The Blueprint…hard! Kno displays a sample of things to come on one of the album's hottest beats. Natti is forceful as usual in his opening declarations. My only regret about the track is that it was not longer.
The album's title track epitomizes the backward lives of those oppressed through a history of overt actions taken by the state. Though mellower than the tracks that sandwich it, "Dirty Acres" definitely serves its purpose as a title track as it thoroughly wraps up the point of the album.
With both Deacon The Villain and Natti hailing from Kentucky, "KKKY" gives the album its necessary Kentucky anthem and does not disappoint. It's also a little short but this time it's just right.
"Wonderful" is a track that has just recently been released as the third single (unofficially) from the album and has the feel of a Masta Ace-type love joint. Though a good song, I personally feel like the track sounds a little dated but I know plenty of people personally and on the Net who are really feeling it, and I must say it does grow on you. Either way it nicely sets up one of the best tracks on the album, "Yellow Lines". Kno absolutely outdoes himself on this track as a producer. Simple and laidback never sounded so good. The track has got to be destined as an underground classic. Phonte of Little Brother and Witchdoctor of the Dungeon Family shine bright on this song, not to be outdone by Natti or Deacon on the hook. Check out the "Yellow Lines" lyrics here.
"Gun" featuring Sheisty Khrist is not only an ode to Amadou Diallo but also covers the concept of the power of the gun in general.
"Dance For Me" has somewhat of a creepy feel for me. It's the story of a fallen girl named Emily that perhaps embodies the countless girls on a downward spiral in life. It is more melancholic than depressing but I can see the argument for both.
"Georgia" is an homage to Kno's home state though not quite the typical homage as he makes sure to mention the state's history of racism (Do yall have time to discuss God's grace/ if you're too busy studying the color of a face?/ I don't follow man to avoid the disgrace/ of the closed-minded culprits of Southern mistakes). Natti takes a different approach to the song's theme but still delivers a decent verse on this mellow track.
The last two songs on the album feature some of the LP's top beats. "Things I Dream" has a monstrous beat with a gentle hook. This song is amazing but I can't get over the fact that Kno could have taken the hook to new heights by perhaps adding another melodic layer to it. I won't say more except that you should really listen to the track.
And finally we have my personal favorite track on the album, "Mexico". This is another song that I can easily see on MTV2 if not MTV (if it only had a video). The hook reaches out to the rappers' main girl, "I know these dreams are make-believe but I don't think we should let 'em go/ They promise you Rome or San Tropez, but one day we might make it to Mexico". It has a real genuine feel that I'm sure millions of up-and-comers will relate to. The song will make you smile with it's optimism. This record will be on repeat in my CD player for a while. The electric guitar suits this beat perfectly. A must listen.
As powerful as Deacon The Villain can be lyrically he seems to be a little less present on the album, but only slightly. Maybe it's just that I would have liked to hear more of him.
Just like A Piece of Strange, I consider this somewhat of a concept album. Though not plainly evident, each song seems to be ordered in a precise way as to convey a message that I'll leave for all the other Cunninlynguists fans to decipher.
This finally brings me to why I was surprised by the album. Cunninlynguists fans have long been used to witty metaphors and mind bending wordplay, and that is all still here. What may surprise you is that the dirtiness of Will Rap For Food has been long replaced with a sophisticated display of substantive lyrics which first showed their face on A Piece of Strange. This is the type of underground material that can easily find its way onto the radio. Whether it be the goal or not, Dirty Acres has brought the group within moments of blowing up.
The CunninLynguists have arrived...the world is on notice.
-Natti
 Picture provided courtesy of DJ Farilla of Zurich, Switzerland |
Enjoy
this CunninLynguists Interview? Listen to and buy Dirty Acres
here, plus find everything else CunninLynguists on their official MySpace
page!Underground Hip Hop | Freestyle & Battle | Accurate Lyrics | Books & Videos | Rap Advice
Make Money | Links