Travel is often an inspiration. From Kerouac to the Muppets, the road has provided a muse. Add to the proud tradition abstract leaning K-The-I??? and his latest record Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow.
While not a straight travelogue, the inspiration behind the record focuses on K-The-I???’s move from Cambridge, Mass. to L.A. But instead of doing a traditional take on East Coast vs. West Cast vs. Dirty South beats, Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow occupies a place where industrial-edged beats sit next to leftfield club bangers. Credit for the sonic twists and turns lies firmly with producer Thavius Beck, who has worked with similarly experimental Saul Williams and remixed Nine Inch Nails. His take is like a less claustrophobic El-P or a more straightforward Anti-Pop Consortium.
But for all the futuristic touches on Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow there’s something almost throwback about the record. K-The-I??? has a lyrical style that’s as dense as a water-soaked fruitcake. In addition, he kicks that "super-scientific" style that was popular among the underground set in the late ‘90s and early ‘80s. And it’s echoed in the choice of guests—from Subtitle to High Priest from the recently reunited Anti-Pop Consortium.
Yet the strength of K-The-I??? is how he sidesteps the cliches that could have made Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow a one-note record. With a voice that has echoes of Redman, a delivery that’s a mixture of Chuck D and spoken word, K-The-I??? engages the listener even when they have no clue what he’s talking about. Musically, Beck moves from the slinky guitar driven bounce of "Never Heard It Done Like This" (featuring High Priest) to the electro-glitch of the Busdriver feature "Sabbath Faster" and somehow makes it sound unified.
While Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow may not appeal to hip-hop fans that are looking for the latest jeep beats, for those to go off the beaten path, K-The-I??? is the travel agent. - The Agit Reader |
