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MH-264 K-The-I??? - Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow  K-The-I??? marks a thunderous return to Mush with his latest full-length, Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow. Production on the album is handled entirely by Thavius Beck, his first project since he finished work on Saul Willaims' Niggy Tardust alongside Trent Reznor. Where his debut, Broken Love Letter, focused on past loves gone wrong, Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow is a collection of songs about the MC's cross country relocation, and trying to come to terms with how his life has changed from that. The result is a work of singular focus that catches K-The-I??? at his strongest, dropping ingenious lyrics over Blade Runner beats. The album features a stellar line-up of guest MCs as High Priest of a newly reunited Antipop Consortium, Busdriver, Subtitle, Scribble Jam winner Nocando, Vyle, and Mestizo all drop in. Thavius Beck even leaves the producer's desk and steps in front of the mic for a track. For fans looking for an album that ties hip-hop's past, present and future, K-The-I???'s Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow delivers. |
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| Reviews Summary |
| K's back and kicking - stand clear - NME / Rewards as much as it refuses to compromise - The Wire / Another strong notch on the post of lyrically-progressive hip-hop - Hip-Hop Connection / Go cop this s**t; it's the future of hip-hop - Lost At Sea / Few rappers think to use words like "polyocular"; fewer manage to make them funky. - Q / K-the-I??? has a bright future ahead. - XLR8R |
| Reviews | |
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| K-the-I??? combines thoughtful and provocative lyrics with an informed wit that lights up every track and keeps you coming back for more. I was genuinely disappointed when the album finished and I had to push play to listen to it all over again. Not entirely dissimilar to Busdriver – who features on a track – but with a more hostile and raw vibe for his debut. The production is engaging yet minimal throughout, and it never crowds the raps. It's well keyed to the lyrics courtesy of Thavius Beck, who even appears on the track "Marathon Man." This is an artist in his own right, although maybe best known for his work on Fear of a Black Tangent. However here it’s all about setting the scene for K to rinse out. Some of his lyrics are so frantic they're almost impossible to follow. On "Before the Session" the snare intro leads on to a political discourse on media infiltration in our lives, affirmative action and the difficulty on one man being heard. The medley of all these notions creates a powerful effect which is repeated throughout, like on "Just Listen" with it's slow bass beat. The subject matter is love – being in and out of it, specifically – but the similes and tone swim through topics like the music industry, hip hop and how to escape stereotypes. Collaborations include High Priest, Busdriver on one of the more experimental tracks "Sabbath Faster," and also a star turn by Mestizo on the sad, moving "Man Or Machine." Here K starts at the speed of dreamy poetry, before revving it up to full on rap, repeating throughout. The main point, though, is that this guy is a serious and talented rapper, and this album gives him license to flex those tongue muscles. The dynamism on "Never Heard It Done Like This" is enough to cement him as a real player in hip hop. - In The Mix |
