Cambridge, Massachusetts� k-the-i??? is a rapper and producer best known for his work on Bigg Jus and Orko Eloheem�s Imperial Letters Of Protection. Like many of Mush�s hip-hop artists, his records are dark and traumatic, with music that pummels along like machines crashing to the ground. Despite the context in which Broken Love Letter appears, k-the-i??? is not a traditional MC. His declamatory technique is reminiscent of spoken word poetry. He doesn�t bother to rhyme on beat, instead attacking each track with his verses. The story mostly fits the dystopic world of lust and recrimination he creates. On some of the tracks DJ Shortrock slashes through the miasma with turntable cuts; for �Go Go Girls� he saws the phrase �b-b-b-bitch!�
Broken Love Letter isn�t necessarily misogynistic. Through words and sounds, k-the-i??? taps into the feelings of rejection, loneliness, alienation and frustration that heterosexual relationships can engender. �You�re not that beautiful,� he says at one point. �But I�m lying to myself.� It�s meant to be profound, but can also be upsetting and annoying. Broken from head to toe, Broken Love Letter is full of bad vibes.
Some of the tracks, however, overcome k-the-i???�s relentless soul-baring. His music shines brightest on �Little Did She Know,� where he floats a melancholy trumpet sample over fuzzily totemic drum programming. �Electrobugs� displays his inclinations for physical lust and emotional neediness: �Time to accumulate then eliminate excess baggage cleared/Be sure to puncture vaginal radical rabbit action occurred/Near/The ocean is watching the sunrise/How are you doing today I said/Hi/Someday it might just be we/I love Asian women/I wish they would love me.� - Wire |
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