When an iconic artist appears to be long past his prime,
fans find themselves wishing he would either return to form or just call it a
day. While the latter would be the most
realistic option, it’s not so easy for those who’ve tasted success to throw in
the towel. They often begin trying to their
glory days, making it all the more obvious that their skills have atrophied. Amazingly, some artists are able to keep
their tools sharp indefinitely. KRS-One
has long purported himself to be such an artist, and his upcoming 20th
studio album Just Like That aims to
prove it.
“Aztechnical,” the second
song and video from Just Like That, deals
with the apocalyptic myths surrounding the year 2012. It specifically targets the alleged significance
of the date December 21st 2012 on the Mayan Calendar. Much like his classic song “Why is That?” It
attempts to debunk myths and misinformation.
KRS again enlists the help of producer Mad Lion to recreate the energy
and attitude of his golden era self. For
the second time in a row, the results are surprisingly effective.
Right from the outset, the song blaringly announces its
arrival. Primal drums bubble and pound
beneath uproarious horns and a ringing electric guitar. The combination of sounds emanates a serious
jungle vibe, almost like a tribal ceremony.
Robust as ever, KRS begins to shout the preamble to his latest sermon. The beat and the vocals seem to be competing
with each other. The clash makes for an
unsettling, yet compelling, listening experience.
The lesson begins. KRS
uses the hysteria surrounding the year 2012 to illustrate his point. He shows how such fears are exploited by the
entertainment complex, and how the populace is susceptible to such tactics due
to their willful ignorance. Simply
researching such phenomena would render it impotent. Likewise, cultural pride and self-knowledge are
also effective counter measures. A
people with no sense of their own history and culture will swallow anything the
powers that be present them with.
KRS then offers an intricate and detailed breakdown of the
science behind the Mayan calendar, as well as a history lesson about how Cortez
conquered the Mayans. He did so by
thoroughly learning their culture and applying what he knew. He turned their
fear against them. KRS tears through an
amazing amount of information in a matter of minutes. He does so with the speed of a cheetah. The listener may find themselves holding on
for dear life at certain points. Still,
it’s a compelling listen in that it grabs ahold of one’s attention and never and
maintains that grasp throughout.
As expected, the video makes heavy use of Mayan imagery. As with “Just Like That,” green screen
effects are likewise heavily used. All
things considered, the special effects are impressive for such a meager
production. They aren’t on the scale of anything
by WETA or ILM, but they achieve the illusion to a good enough degree that the
listener is never distracted.
“Aztechnical” is a good example of rap music as a form of
communication. After all these years, it’s
still an effective forum for the dissemination of vital information. Listening to this song is much easier than
doing the actual footwork that KRS must have done before writing it. Ironically, that is exactly the kind of
apathy and laziness that the song decries.
It seems that in trying to cure said apathy, KRS has actually
contributed to it in an odd and unintended way.
Then again, maybe I’m just overthinking a really dope song.
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