Devised as a two-part album to mark two decades since the release of his classic début “Soul On Ice”, “Intellectual Property” is the first slice of Ras Kass’ crowd-funded vision. Since this offering is supposed to invoke Ras’ original masterpiece it’s hard not to compare it with his first album, but when you do that, you’re left feeling slightly disappointed.
This much-delayed 20th Anniversary celebration of “Soul On Ice” I assume is purposely separated into two albums; one a straight-forward new LP, and the other a continuation of the super-lyricism found in the original album. I assume that the second part of this two-album set (“Soul On Ice 2”) is the album that will contain all the complex, historical, and political lyricism that we all know and love, because this first instalment contains nothing on the level of “Nature Of The Threat”, “Interview With The Vampire”, or “How To Kill God”.
There’s a quick blip of lyricism on the song “Trade Places” in which Ras delivers an interesting verse where he reverses the societal roles of males and females, but this track is marred by Dina Rae’s uninspired chorus and production that’s so dull it almost makes you nod off. “And Then” features a quick history of Ras’ growing up, getting signed, label politics, trying to get out of a record deal etc. but again this song contains some uninspired production. “BARdom” is a song in which Ras Kass and KRS One outline how talent and originality rarely results in fame, but fame usually comes to those with no talent. With Ras rapping “stardom is… bardom is…” this is one of the few songs that contain a lyrical concept, but that being said, when Ras Kass mentions that racist interloper Eminem in his last verse, you do a double take. You don’t big-up Eminem during your trip down memory lane, especially when you’re someone who made the anti-racist song “Nature Of The Threat” whereas he made the racist song “Foolish Pride”. That to me is contradictory and on the cusp of selling out.
Speaking of contradictions, there’s also the confusing track “Kanye Moment” which sounds like it can’t make up its mind whether it’s Trap-mocking, Kanye-West-mocking, or actually approving of this type of Hip-Pop sound. If this was an intentional parody, then it’s not constructed very well (it’s no TETRAHEATHEN for example) and if Ras likes Kanye and Trap music, then surely he contradicts his line from “Downward Spiral” where he raps “Every-song-in-the-club-sound-like-this” (imitating a Trap flow) and also “I’m not hating I just don’t feel that shit” (when referring to contemporary rap music).
The beats on this album are by and large underwhelming; “Bishop” features some dull production which sounds more like Lounge music rather than Jazz music and “Beautiful Mind” includes some poor quality R’N’B by Teedra Moses along with a cheap sounding piano, the song references Prince’s “1999” but it’s not really in the same league. “Hood On Ice” is okay but the drum machine and violin sample results in some amateur sounds and “Lose It All” is a horrible R’N’B-infused track that reminds me of “Build A Wall” by the East Park Reggae Collective.
There are of course some pretty decent songs such as “In The Moment” which is a nice mellow track that features a guitar and almost no rhythm section, with Ras describing the song as “psychedelic” and “trippy” this at least bucks the trend of the same-same production.
Quite a few songs start out promising but then a certain element ruins the overall track. For instance “Reverse Engineering” featuring Torae & OC is a listenable track but the lame R’N’B chorus ruins the song – when “Time’s Up” by OC kicks in for a second you realise what better production sounds like. “Promisedland” is also one of the better tracks thanks to the production by Statik Selektah but this particular joint is let down by the singing during the chorus. The worst is probably “#WWJD”, a so-so song with some very poor-quality double-time from Ras, and “Constant Elevation” is a song that sports some forgettable noughties-sounding “underground” production, and RZA’s contribution of “Wassup, wassup, wassup” sounds to me like he’s been accosted in some hallway and forced to give a shoutout that’s then fashioned into a chorus.
I don’t know when these songs were recorded but Ras Kass’ “I kill a mic like Conrad Murray” line (from “Downward Spiral”) comes after Meechy Darko from the Flatbush Zombies used a similar lyric a while ago, and the line “Like a Wedding Photographer who only takes selfies” (from the song “Bishop”) plagiarises a joke by Anthony Jeselnik. These various elements don’t make for an original piece of work.
Incidentally, there’s multiple versions of this album out there, and the Bandcamp version is missing the songs “Goodbye”, “Sycamore Tree”, “Viral”, and “Intellectual Property”. “Sycamore Tree” is one of the better tracks on the LP and it features Da Ranjahz’ Wais and a Black Moon sample (“Slave”), it’s unfortunate that this song is missing from the standard edition.
There are numerous songs which are very enjoyable but they all contain guest spots so there’s not enough of Ras on them to be notable works. “PayPal The Feature” featuring General Steele of Smif-N-Wessun and Sean Price of Heltah Skeltah is one of the better tracks and Steele gives a decent verse as well as the late Sean Price providing a memorable chorus. “Talk Greazy” is another above average song and AFRO gives an impressive delivery, and then there’s the Demis Roussos sampling “End Of The World” featuring Killah Priest where Priest exhibits his unique and impressive brand of Hip-Hop. This song fades out too early, but besides that little criticism, there are far too many solo songs that are disappointing and far too many collaborative songs that outshine the unaccompanied tracks.
To be fair, there’s quite a few decent tracks on this album such as “BARdom”, “PayPal The Feature”, “Downward Spiral”, “Talk Greazy”, “End Of The World”, “PromisedLand”, “In The Moment”, and “Sycamore Tree”, but unfortunately nothing really stands out as a classic song. Yes, Ras Kass is one of the all-time great MC’s, but you get tired of him repeating that fact over and over, and two thirds of the album is exactly that – Ras being conceited. Showcasing your arrogance without including a stand-out song doesn’t make for a well-rounded album.
“Intellectual Property” is an album that’s a little too long and a little too unfocussed. The tracks are not really separable by topic, overall they sound like a bunch of unconnected verses placed randomly over some average production, chopped-up to form individual tracks. There’s also a few unneeded skits that add nothing to the LP and the album as a whole doesn’t really flow or blend successfully, you don’t want to come back to “Intellectual Property” and listen to it in its entirety for a second time. Hopefully “Soul On Ice 2” is more akin to Ras Kass’ début, because overall this release is a let-down.
“Intellectual Property” is not the worst album around, but this is the legendary Ras Kass we’re talking about, and you expect a little more from him than this. A Ras Kass album is supposed to be more than a long tracklist, you expect an anti-establishment viewpoint, unorthodox political stances, clever metaphors, and pure lyricism. With “Intellectual Property” what you get is a collection of songs that sound like a reject bin for “Soul On Ice 2”, there’s stuff that’s listenable but ultimately it’s forgettable.
I recall many critics back in the day saying that the problem with “Soul On Ice” was the lacklustre production, and even though I didn’t fully agree with that assessment, 20 years later “Intellectual Property” suffers from this very same problem. The fact that this album doesn’t contain the same level of lyricism as “Soul On Ice”, unlike it’s artistic predecessor, “Intellectual Property” is largely disappointing.
And Then…
WHAT WENT RIGHT WITH...? 
I will buy this album on iTunes Canada . I have seen the Band Camp version advertised already . I think the iTunes version has the bonus tracks . This album was most likely haphazardly slapped together like “A.D.I.D.A.S.” & “Barmageddon” . I haven’t listened to either of those in a while but I remember them to be very feature heavy . “Barmageddon” or “A.D.I.D.A.S.” I think even had a shout out from a pre-fame Iggy Azalea and Kendrick Lamar offered up a short feature verse . Both I think both albums had prelude mixtapes . Iggy Azalea & Lamar might have been from the mixtapes that came before each of their releases . I’ve bought almost everything Ras Kass has released . Studio albums , E.P.’s , mixtapes & singles . In October of last year (2015) he came out with a collaborative album with the producer Jack Splash . This was released on Apollo Brown’s Mello Music Group label ( Just as “Blasphemy” was .) . As a group they are called Semi Hendrix . The album is called “Breakfast At Banksy’s” . I actually just bought it on iTunes . I briefly skimmed though it and it sounded decent production-wise . The tracks “Jesus Pressed Mute” and “Can’t Give Up Now” were pretty good . Jack Splash raps on the album a little bit , I think . Those two tracks have all Ras Kass rhyming on them .
The album Razzy did with Apollo Brown is one of my favourite albums of all time . And “Blasphemy” only came out less than 2 years ago . Every track on “Blasphemy” except “Francine” and “Strawberry” is an underground classic . “Blasphemy” is the album of Razzy’s career . It has the production to match his lyrics . Just like on “Rip The Jacker” Stoupe’s production matched Canibus’s lyrics . Or how Bronze Nazareth’s production matched Canibus’s lyrics on “Time Flies , Life Dies , Phoenix Rise…” .
Man this whole right up is wrong lmao. All real fans will see this as Ras at his usual witty self. Whoever did the write up should come back after they’ve really listened to it after about 5 times. People comment on shit these days without even really digesting after chewing.
Surely a “real fan” can tell the difference between a classic album like 1996’s Soul On Ice and an average album like 2016’s Intellectual Property? Only a backslapper would hold both these albums in high regard without recognising that the former is superior, you forget that I gave this LP a 6/10 and that’s not bad – but c’mon this is nowhere near the level of Ras Kass’ début.
FYI I’ve listened to this album a few times, I always listen to an album two or three times before writing a review, it may not be your magic “5” times but unless an album makes you want to play it again and hear it over and over (like Soul On Ice) that’s another reason for the less than perfect score.
By the way, overrating everything an artist makes just because you’re a “real fan” is actually detrimental to the music. If you don’t differentiate between below-average, average, and above-average, then the best shit goes without praise. Surely you should keep a high rating for the best work an artist makes and not dish it out to everything? Or would you seriously place something like Invincible at the same level as Off The Wall?
That’s the thing, it’s not 1996. I’m also not saying this should be compared as his debut. You seem to be offended by my real fan comment. I wasn’t trying to single you out as not being one. Let me ask you something honestly. Did you buy the album? Being the way music is, not speaking on the real vets in the game, but it’s become harder and harder to find a solid, not saying classic, album these days. Seems folks expect classic albums to sound like their best work. Not saying anything is wrong with that but dude has been in the game for 20 years and is still putting out quality work, even if at sometimes sounding outdated. It’s 2016 and everyone with a blog and opinion is a certified critic or authority on the topic. You gave your opinion, I gave mine. This is hip-hop though, and the fun thing about it is there will always be debates on topics such as these.
It doesn’t have to be 1996, the reason for the comparison is the fact that Intellectual Property is supposed to follow on from Soul On Ice. On Ras Kass’ crowd funding page it reads… “To celebrate the 20th anniversary (1996) of the critically acclaimed album Soul on Ice, Ras Kass is currently completing an ambitious Trilogy with two new releases planned in 2016. The prequel, Intellectual Property (IP) will be released June, 2016” …therefore this is an album that wants to be part of Soul On Ice, I don’t “expect” it to sound like Ras’ “best work” but the very concept of an anniversary album is asking for the two to be compared, similar to a sequel to a film – in that respect it isn’t as good.
To answer your other question, I streamed the album on Ras’ Bandcamp in order to review it, after listening to it a few times I didn’t feel it was that good an album so I didn’t purchase it. Soul On Ice on the other hand I bought as a CD when it first it came out.
On your other point, I never said I was a “certified critic” (although what exactly is a “certified” critic anyway?) I’m a Hip-Hop fan and that’s enough to write a review, you don’t need a qualification to do that and an individual’s opinion is just as valid as some mainstream journo working for an established magazine (sometimes more so).
If you re-read my previous reply, nowhere did I say you’re not entitled to your point of view, and nowhere did I say that I’m speaking some kind of Hip-Hop gospel, but your original comment did have a tone that belittled my review and implied that fans of Ras Kass would somehow feel differently.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/intellectual-property-soi2/id1140025747
This is the version of the album I’m going to buy on iTunes Canada . It is the deluxe version with 26 tracks . Is the album decent ? Or is it like “Barmaggedon” or “A.D.I.D.A.S.” which only had about 2 (maybe 3) decent tracks each ? Does it come anywhere near “Blasphemy” as far as production & lyrical concept ? I heard that Ras Kass is going to come out with a second installment , a full studio L.P. , in December ? Is that true ?
Just stream the album from Ras’ Bandcamp (embedded above) and play the extra tracks from Spotify before you buy, if you’ve got the money buy it, but the album is just above average – it’s better than Barmageddon/A.D.I.D.A.S. but not as good as Blasphemy.
And yes, Ras Kass has stated that Soul On Ice 2 will drop in December (although IP was supposed to come out in June and was delayed ’til September so don’t hold him to that date).
Peace.
I think RK said he was going to shoot a music video for Nature of the Threat and that SOI2 would be a continuation of his original CD which will come out in December.
I’m hoping that SOI2 will be like SOI1 and contain the political stuff and the 5 to 8 minute songs. IP is okay but I think RK is capable of making something better. I really hope he makes a Nature of the Threat 2 or something which talks about the U.S.A. and the world today and racism in 2016.
Soul On Ice isn’t as great as many say it is. It is a mediocre album. Ras Kass shows lyricism, but his taste when it comes to beats is terrible. The beats are so atrocious! In addition, Ras Kass’ flow went off-beat in nearly every track. The worst song was Nature Of The Threat. It is seven minutes of historical inaccuracy, ignorance and pseudo intellectual bullshit. For a so-called anti-racism song, he sure as hell says some racist shit. He also spewed bullshit about Thanksgiving and even said AIDS was man-made. It is obvious that he hasn’t done any research. There may be some truth in the things he said, but that’s not good enough. It is disappointing because Nature Of The Threat could have been a great song if he actually done research on the topic.
You’ve lost your mind if you think Nature Of The Threat is the WORST song on Soul On Ice!
Nature Of The Threat by the way was based on an essay Ras wrote in high school and he transformed this into a song, and at seven minutes it’s a Hip-Hop classic, not because of its accuracy but because of its concept and political stance. In the 90’s nobody was rapping like this; political Rappers like Public Enemy were in the past, Rappers like dead prez and Immortal Technique were a couple of years in the future and Ras Kass made a brilliant and distinctive song in a genre that started to talk about bitches, hoes, clubs, and champagne – this is exactly what was needed back then – for minorities to be kicked in the arse for succumbing to a white majority that were only five years away from fucking them over once again.
This song is a classic because it’s unique in its construction (name a chronological history Hip-Hop track before this) plus Ras Kass had the balls to intertwine conspiracy theory into proven history, something I might add many Rappers have done after this song was released (K-Rino, Non Phixion, Canibus to name a few – proving its influence).
Since neither of us have been in a classified government laboratory, nobody can unequivocally say how and who created AIDS for instance, so why be so adamant that it was natural? The Turkey thing, yes it was inaccurate or coincidental, but it was also an Afrocentric conspiracy so to include this is apt and it works to add fuel to the fire. The Turkey-Moors-Thankgiving scenario is there to create a reaction as it’s played over the sound of a police walkie talkie referencing the similarities between the way Muslims were treated from the Crusades onward and people of colour in contemporary society. Black people today are in the same position as the Moors in 1491-1500 – you’re forced to conform or you get treated like shit, locked up, or even tortured – this is even more apt these days with Islamophobia and Police brutality on the rise.
On the topic of conspiracy theory, when someone like Immortal Technique released Revolutionary Vol. 2 and mentioned conspiracies surrounding 9/11 and the War On Terror or when K-Rino made Grand Deception or even when Jadakiss rapped “Bush knocked down the towers” did you shout out “where’s the proof – that’s historical inaccuracy!”. Can’t people use a little artistic license or alternative history to add feeling to a song? And why are you so quick to believe the official story? Haven’t you seen numerous blatant lies by the news media (Palestinians cheering to 9/11 which was a hoax created by a Journalist) – these are the people who write history – biased, corrupt, immoral doormats, nothing has changed. Trusting people who write mainstream history is like taking Sky News, CNN, and Fox News as pure fact – and on that note who do you think people will believe 100 years from now? An individual researcher who has been labelled a “tin-foil wearing conspiracy theorist” or a mainstream journalist? Fuck history class, almost all of it is twisted to favor certain people, NOTHING IS INDISPUTABLE even shit written in a nicely packaged, well-respected book.
Contemporary Rappers like Kendrick Lamar get so overrated when they make a track like Blacker The Berry and it’s so undeserved because it isn’t as hardcore or left-field as the best of the best of Political Hip-Hop. For this reason I’m willing to overlook some average beats when the lyrics make up for it, everything can be better in retrospect but this LP was a wake-up call for Hip-Hop in 1996, Hipsters speak about Nas and Tupac but neither of them brought politics on the level of Ras Kass.
Also on the topic of production, I remember you leaving a comment saying that Nas’ second album was better than his first because of the production and I disagreed with you – yes the beats are an integral element but late 80’s/early-to-mid 90’s Hip-Hop was predominantly about lyricism. These days if a half-decent beat is accompanied by garbage it sells (Bobby Shmurda or O.T. Genasis for example) why then can’t it be the other way around now and again?
Yes, Soul On Ice included some mediocre production but Ras Kass’ lyricism made up for it in spades, and on the topic of his off-beat flow – that’s his style – Rappers like 9th Prince made it their constant sound but nobody criticised him and Zombie Juice has gone off-beat numerous times, so what?
I don’t hate Ras Kass. He is a great rapper and one of the greatest lyricists of all time. I’m not the biggest fan of off-beat flows because most of time it tends to be annoying, but with Ras Kass it was tolerable. His collaborations with Apollo Brown was his peak. I actually liked some songs on Soul On Ice such as ETC, Miami Life, and the Soul On Ice (Diamond D remix). In fact, the only good thing about the album is the lyricism. Everything else was forgettable, especially the production. I don’t expect DJ Premier-quality beats, but beats should at least be decent or tolerable (the same also applies to lyrics). That cannot be said about the beats on Soul On Ice. They are so terrible, so weak to the point where Ras Kass should have just released an acapella album instead.
Nature of the Threat is definitely unconventional in structure, concept, and lyrics. It had a cool concept, but it is badly executed. Ras Kass tries to hit the bullseye, but misses by a mile. Like I said, there is some truth in the lyrics, such as the whitewashing of Jesus, the genocide committed by white europeans, the origins of the racist word “nigger”. But for every time he makes sense, he later spews some more bullshit. He refers to white people as “genetically recessive”. He makes homophobic remarks like “This was the place where adolescent boys were educated or molested/This was accepted because Greek culture was homosexual”. He then later says black people or people of colour are “genetically dominant”. This is no different from all the racist scientific theories made by white europeans. Nature of the Threat is the equivalent of learning history from high school.
I don’t understand where you’re getting your history from! Ancient Greece was homosexual as well as paedophilic – that’s confirmed history from mainstream sources that even you’ll probably read. In Ancient Greece it was common for same-sex sexual relations between adult men and pubescent or adolescent boys, known as pederasty. Relationships also corresponded with dominant and submissive social roles where the dominant/penetrative/giver role was associated with masculinity, higher social status, and adulthood, whereas the passive/taker role was associated with femininity, lower social status, and youth.
On the topic of race and genes take a look at Mendel’s Law which basically agrees that the white race (light skin, blue/green eyes, blonde/ginger hair etc.) is diluted by the black race (dark skin, brown eyes, black hair). A child born to a white person with any other race is even seen by society as more “coloured” than “white” (racist but true) therefore white genes are recessive and all others are more dominant.
I’m not going to go through the entire song, lyric by lyric and line by line, and then de-construct the stuff you either don’t believe or aren’t willing to accept. Yes there’s a hint of racism but that’s apt since even mainstream history proves that the white European has caused numerous cases of genocide, displacement, and other deplorable forms of violence and supremacy based on racism and prejudice.
Finally I’ll point out that on my article about Islamophobia where I left a comment reading “humans always need someone to hate” you then replied and said ““Humans”? More like white, straight, male humans”. If you’re so concerned with anti-white racism then maybe check your own point of view – pot calling the kettle black?
I think that the best tracks on Soul On Ice were “On Earth As It Is (In Heaven) … ” and “Sonset” . They had some the most skillful lyrics of the 90’s . To me “Nature Of The Threat” comes off as a rant . K-Rino greatly improved on and streamlined the concept on his last album “Makin’ Enemies” . “Rassassination” had the outstanding tracks “Interview With A Vampire” and “It Is What It Is” featuring Jazze Pha . Some of the other tracks are either too tongue-in-cheek or too busy . “Ghetto Fabulous” featuring Dr. Dre & Mack 10 was Razzy’s attempt to make it as a mainstream hip hop artist . Ice-T was in the music video along with the performers .
“Ghetto Fabulous” never panned out as a radio hit and Ras Kass went to prison , had 2 studio albums shelved and came back as an underground hardcore lyricist .
His best work , in my opinion , is “Blasphemy” with Apollo Brown and “Breakfast At Banksy’s” with Jack Splash . Both are Mello Music Group releases . I’m glad he has released his best albums later in his career . When teams up with Apollo again we are in for a treat . I guess he’s coming out with another studio album in December . “Soul On Ice 2” . I haven’t bought “Intellectual Property” yet but I will but it on iTunes Canada .
I’ve heard that K-Rino and Ras Kass have had an implicit and competitive feud for about 10 years . Razzy’s bit material about Pagan Gods and the days of the week from “The Grand Deception” on one of his tracks that came out about 2 years after K-Rino’s masterpiece . K-Rino reused the concept of “Interview With A Vampire” in his track “The Valley Of Decision” . I feel that “The Valley Of Decision” is the better track . Most will probably disagree .
I love both Razzy and K as artists . K-Rino is the better and more well rounded lyricist . A better and harder hitting storyteller . Both are top 10 emcees of all time to me . Another thing is that K-Rino doesn’t talk as much about the “playa” lifestyle in his lyrics . Ras Kass mentions bitches , hoes , booze , weed , hard drugs and gun / gang violence all the time . This isn’t a slight against Razzy . That’s his style . Like a lyrically improved and intellectually enlightened version of Ice-T , Too $hort , Spice-1 , MC Ren or The D.O.C. .
K-Rino has become a hard line N.O.I. member more and more over the years . He doesn’t ever drink alcohol , smoke tobacco , do drugs , or smoke weed . Listen to the track “Antagonistic Radio” .
On K-Rino’s first 3 studio albums his style was much more similar to The Geto Boys , UGK and Ganksta N-I-P . Albeit a much more lyrical version . Razzy was influenced by California and K was influenced by the great Texan rappers .
On the subject of “Nature Of The Threat” I have mixed emotions . He is telling historical truths but also lies and exaggerations . His knowledge of Islamic History and Tradition is lacking . Being a Sunni (or Shia) Muslim and 5 Percenter (or N.O.I.) isn’t the same thing . That was even alluded to when the protagonist of the great T.V. series “The Night Of” was a prisoner on Riker’s Island . It is clear from the 2014 classic track “Deliver Us From Evil” from “Blasphemy” that Ras Kass believes Jesus Christ to be a black African . On “How To Kill God” from the same album he also make references to several Biblical figures as being black Africans . According to mainstream anthropologists Jesus Christ and the other Biblical figures would have very much looked like Arabs . Arabs of The Middle East , North Africans peoples , Jews and some people living the areas of Southern Italy (Sicily) , Southern Spain , Southern Portugal , Cypus and some Greek Islands are considered to be of the same Semitic ethnographic family .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semitic_people
On “Nature Of The Threat” Ras Kass also refers to Ottoman Turks as being black . That is plainly untrue . Descendants of The Ottomans live in modern day Turkey . Yes they have dark skin , eyes and hair but they are not Sub-Saharan Africans . If anything Ras Kass should’ve mentioned the advanced black African civilizations Mali , Niger and especially The Kingdoms Of Ashanti and Dagbon ( in present day West Africa ) . According to mainstream science (Richard Dawkins & others) Ras Kass’s ancestors came from Ashanti and Dagbon in West Africa . To be fair he did mention Africa as being the cradle of humanity and medicine . But he mentioned Egypt in specific . Ancient Egyptians (according to mainstream science) are ethnically related to Arabs or Coptic Christians . Ras Kass is correct that Black Africans followed traditional polytheistic religions and later Sunni Islam . These links are about the rich history of the Great West African Empires of old :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghana_Empire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali_Empire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Dagbon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashanti_Empire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanem_Empire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokoto_Caliphate
These articles reference the ethnicity of Biblical and Quranic figures :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_race_controversy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_appearance_of_Jesus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad#Appearance
I don’t have any scientific , anthropologic , historical or theological expertise . I am just repeating what mainstream scientists say . I agree with you that mainstream science and the mainstream view of history should be challenged . As a religious person and as someone who isn’t an atheist I am open-minded to conspiracy theories and alternative interpretations of history .
Conspiracy Theories go hand in hand with underground and independent hip hop . In 1996 the original lineup of Jedi Mind Tricks recorded tracks on “The Amber Probe E.P.” that would come out a year later in 1997 on the classic debut L.P. “The Psycho Social … ” . In 1992 a very , very young Vinnie , Jus Allah & Stoupe did a track with the original lineup of The Roots called “Get This Low” . It is available if you buy the deluxe edition of “The Psycho Social …” . Canibus recorded the original version of “Channel Zero” in late 1996 . I actually have a rare low quality MP3 copy of it .
One album from (late) 1996 that is often over looked is “The New World Order” . The final studio album of Poor Righteous Teachers . Every track is a classic and “The Outro” is a classic , as well . The album features The Fugees , Brother J of X-Clan , KRS-One , DJ Clark Kent , Sluggy Ranks , Junior Reid , Nine , Ezo Brown & Miss Jones .
One last thing . There is a track Ras Kass and Scipio made called “Wut Do U Want?” it was on his “The Re-Up” compilation and it might have been on the “Runaway Slave” compilation mixtape . If you dig deep enough you can illegally download it or rip the MP3 track off of YouTube . I think it is on YouTube but is hard to find . At the end of the track there is an electric boogie type voice that says the phrase “What Do You Want !?” and Ras Kass says a snide remark each time in response . When the last “What Do You Want !?” goes off at the end of the song Ras Kass audibly and clearly says “KILL ALL THE WHITE PEOPLE !!!! …. except Mike” (referring to Michael Jackson) .
To be fair K-Rino , Posion Clan , Menace Clan , Kool G Rap , Sir Mix-A-Lot , Esham , Three Six Mafia , Ice Cube , Eazy-E , Ganksta N-I-P , Dead Prez , Immortal Technique , The Geto Boys , MC Ren & many others have dissed white people before .
I hold K-Rino , Immortal Technique , Esham & Kool G Rap in very high regard as great rappers .
In modern battle rap today there are racially charged remarks put out there by Arsonal Da Rebel , Jay Legend , Qleen Paper , Bigg K , Head I.C.E. , Calicoe , Hollohan , Pat Stay , Daylyt , Corey Charron , Shotty Horroh , Rone , Dizaster , Eurgh , Osa , Soul , Dirtbag Dan , THEsaurus , Iron Solomon , Caustic , MarvWon , Cortez , Illmaculate , Dumbfoundead and Hollow Da Don .
Those battle rappers I listed are Black , White , Latino , Native American , Arab , Korean & East Indian .
Eminem made racist remarks against blacks . Canibus dissed Muslims . Both have since profusely apologized for their past material .
On the 1996 track “Uni-4-orm” from the “Rhyme & Reason” soundtrack Ras Kass said something like , “Record Industry Rule # 1 , 2 & 3 . Jews run it , N***ers run around in it …” . The track featured Canibus , Ras Kass & Heltah Skeltah .
K-Rino has made a few verbal jabs at white or Jewish major label record execs on his albums “Deprogrammed” and “Makin’ Enemies” . A whack underground rapper – whose name I won’t mention (but you know) – has repeatedly knocked Jews . The all-white hip hop group Wood Pile consisted of ex-convicts who were members of The Aryan Brotherhood . Twiztid , Ill Bill , Necro & Cage used to refer to themselves as “n***as” in their early stuff from the 90’s . The smug sell-out Kanye West has said anti-White things many times . Same with Jay-Z and Dr. Dre . Talib Kweli and Diabolic both traded thinly-veiled racial remarks in their back and forth disses .
Everyone in hip hop has slipped up and said something racist at least once in there lives .
You can add Kool G Rap’s “Check The Bitch” to that list of racist songs/Rappers. You said you hold him in high regard but he’s guilty of racism too plus I don’t recall him apologising for it either. In that track he raps “I ain’t with discrimination, that’s that wack shit, I could care less if you was purple and fuckin’ a black bitch” but then he disses Spanish, Chinese, and Indian women. He includes the fucked up lines “The first time I saw some niggas with some Chinese bitches I asked myself a question: where the fuck they find these bitches? But then I had to learn that the money talks, and when your ass is broke, any honey walks. But fuck a Hindu bitch, no, I won’t be in a hurry, because I know that bitch’s pussy smells like fuckin’ curry”
When someone raps like this (and I’d include Eminem, Canibus, Ras Kass too) that’s blatant racism, so anyone calling them racist is okay to do so. We don’t know for sure what a person is like in private, all we have is their lyrics to go by, and by all accounts Kool G Rap, Eminem, Canibus, and Ras Kass are racists – I think that’s fine to say given the lyrical proof.
I forgot to mention Slick Rick, you can add him to the list of racist rappers. This was supposed to be funny but he was prejudice against Native Americans…
I talked to the Creole brother ras kass and I like the IP album. However, this album is not soul on ice which was coined by Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver(Ask someone younger than 30 today they don’t know who he is or his beautiful lightskin wife Kathleen Cleaver who was protesting Trayvon’s murder) Ras Kass is a career rapper with more than 20 years in the game.
Razzy does not do skinny jean rap, trendy rap, or commercial rap. The year 1996 is much similar to 2016 because. Ras Kass produces “GROWNMAN RAP” that makes you think about forces in this world that are oppressing minorities. He had to crowdfund his album and pay the rest out of his own pocket without the help of a major label. Production quality he doesn’t have the budget to get tier one beat producers like KW, but he always been the more lyrical mc. Ras Kass’ has Creole Roots to Louisiana and Huey P Newton would approve of his album. I respect his music cause when he started westcoast gangster rap was trendy and profitable. He stayed true to himself doing his music his way not the jewish record labels way because they wanted creative control over his lyrics, image, and production.
He has roots from Louisiana to California and knows enough about this post racial America to call bullshit when he sees and hears it.
I wouldn’t say that all the execs are white or Jewish males at the big labels . There are more Black , Latino , LGBTQ , female , Oriental , East Indian , Middle Eastern or other minorities in the entertainment industry executive role now . Dr. Dre , Kanye West , Ice Cube , Kendrick Lamar , Eminem & Lil’ Wayne can all be called “entertainment executives” nowadays . There were more white or Jewish male executives in the early to late 1990’s when Ras Kass had his experiences in the industry . You are right . He is a very great lyrical talent . He also has a great sense of humour and a positive outlook on life . Unlike Eminem or underground rappers like Jak Tripper / Jak Progresso & DZK . Ras Kass is a top 20 of all time emcee in any real head’s book .
He tried to make it in the mainstream . He was almost there . Did a track with Dr. Dre in late 1997 . Had Dre , Mack 10 & Ice-T in the video . People just didn’t buy the “Rassassination” CD . I think the reason is because most don’t know real hip hop talent . Months later Eminem’s first commercial album came out . And then the opinions of real hip hop heads became irrelevant . Middle class white kids who have no understanding of real hip hop stole the market . Today garbage artists like Chief Keef , Meek Mill , Young Thug , Bobby Shmurda or Future are bad influences on urban youth .
One thing I forgot to mention . If you go on YouTube and look up interviews with K-Rino , Immortal Technique , Ras Kass , Vinnie Paz , Ill Bill & Canibus all of them come across as nice down-to-earth guys . The kind of guys that would be a loyal friend and have your back . Sure they have said heated , violent or controversial things in their music . That is their creative expression . Their outlet for frustration . I don’t think Eminem is a racist . He may be an unethical sell-out , but not a racist .
All of them – except for Eminem – have spoken out against “the vile men” . The white male privileged millionaire or billionaire that behaves like Donald Trump and his sons . Or like George Bush the first and his sons . But , there are “vile men” of every race and creed . Look at that vile sell-out Kendrick Lamar . Lamar comes from a poor black community . But then again so did K-Rino , Canibus and Ras Kass . Lamar willingly chose to leave independent hip hop behind , sell his artistic soul , sign with Dre and do a feature on the #1 pop hit Taylor Swift track “Bad Blood” . He choose to appear on stage with Miley Cyrus . Kendrick Lamar may become a billionaire like Dr. Dre . He probably will buy a $40 million penthouse in a Trump building . Who knows ??
I bought the album . The deluxe version with 26 tracks . 14 solid tracks on there . “Bardom” feat. KRS-One , “Talk Greazy” feat. A-F-R-O , “# WWJD ?” feat. Delorean , “League Of Extraordinary Vets” feat . El Gant & Shabaam Sahdeeq , “Promised Land” produced by Statik Selektah & “Downward Spiral” feat. Freddie Foxxx & Onyx are the tracks that stood out to me on first listen . “Hood On Ice” has a good beat but the lyrics aren’t great . “End Of The World” feat. Killah Priest isn’t on the version I bought .
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/intellectual-property-soi2/id1140025747
I hope “Soul On Ice 2” is better & he spends more money on production .
this review is garbage …. “2/3 of its is ras being conceited” etc … dude get off the bullshit. this album is dope as fuck , this and blasphemy are like topten albums of the last 2 decades.
beats 5/10 …. lol more like 9/10
What’s garbage is that comment.
You must be the type of person to give everything by your favourite artist a 10/10 but what the fuck would be the point of a comparative review if everything created by a certain musician was labelled “dope as fuck”? 10/10 would be perfection so given all the problems with structure, content, lyricism, production, and references, 6/10 is fair for this LP. Intellectual Property is no Soul On Ice or Blasphemy – that’s plain to pretty much everybody.
9/10 for the beats? That’s the funniest shit I’ve read in a long time.
rass kass has a history of selling out (dr dre on his second album) so im not surprised with the eminem line/promotion on intellectual property. after soul on ice his albums have been average including this one.
@ Rico
“Blasphemy” with Apollo Brown , “Breakfast At Bansky’s” with Jack Splash and “Intellectual Property : Deluxe Edition” ranged from fairly good to amazing in quality .
Over half of the tracks on “Blasphemy” were bangers . “Humble Pi” being the best track with the best production . The track “Too Much Of A Good Thing” had very good production but the lyrics didn’t interest me much . “H20” featuring Pharaohe Monch and Rakaa Iriscience of Dilated Peoples had good lyrics and production . “Deliver Us From Evil” had great lyrics and okay production . “Bon Voyage” and “Animal Sacrifice” had good lyrics and good production . The bonus track “Impossible Dream” featuring Sean Price (Rest In Paradise) and Bleu DaVinci had great lyrics and an amazing beat .
“Breakfast At Bansky’s” had three good tracks . “Heart Beak” feat. Teedra Moses , “Jesus Pressed Mute” and “Can’t Give Up Now” featuring Jessica .
On “Intellectual Property : Deluxe Edition” “#WWJD” featuring Delorean , “Downward Spiral” featuring Bumpy Knuckles and Onyx and ESPECIALLY the tracks “Hood On Ice” and “Talk Greazy” feat. A-F-R-O stood out .
I believe the only standout album in Razzy’s catalogue career is actually “Blasphemy” .