Vicious, unrelenting, uncompromising, venomous, blunt, intelligent, articulate, political, revolutionary. The list could go, but until you hear Immortal Technique you just won’t understand. When Immortal speaks, you listen. You don’t have a choice. Few emcees possess the command he does, song after song he leaves you hypnotized as he rips the mic to shreds. I don’t use that term lightly, when you hear Immortal rhyme, you will be taken back by the sheer force of his delivery. More importantly, you will be taken back by his brutally honest words – whether it is concerning race, social ills, hip-hop, government, promoters, drugs, or your momma.
Technique dropped his debut in 2001 (“Revolutionary Vol.1”) and showed glimpses of what he had become here on “Vol.2.” This time around his mic presence is greater, his flow is more commanding, his focus is sharper, and he is a whole lot angrier. Not to mention, his beats are much better. While nothing will blow you away, the beats all range from good to dope and they are perfect in that they both compliment his style and put the focus on his rhymes. Fuck it, just read the quotes.
“how can this be?/the land of the free, home of the brave/indigenous holocaust and the land of the slaves/corporate America dancing off beat to the rhythm/do you really think this country never sponsored terrorism?/human rights violations, we continue the saga/El Salvador and the contras in Nicaragua/and on top of that you still wanna take me to prison/just cause I won’t trade humanity for patriotism” – The 4th Branch
“but do you know what I think is just pathetic and gay?/when niggas speculate what the fuck Pac would say/you don’t know shit about a dead man’s perspective/and talking shit will get ya neck bone disconnected”
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“If you go platinum it has nothing to with luck/it just means that a million people are stupid as fuck” – Industrial Revolution
“You shouldn’t fuckin’ talk about telekinesis/nigga please, movin’ shit with your mind/try movin’ your moms out tha projects with ya rhymes” – Crossing The Boundary
“Government cocaine cooked into ghetto crack rock/corrupt cops false testimony at your arraignment/check the cheque, constant struggle to make the payments/workin’ your whole life wonderin’ where the day went/subway packed like a multicultural slave ship/its rush hour, 2:30 to 8 non-stop’n people comin’ home after corporate share croppin’/and fuck flossin’ mothers are tryin to feed children/but gentrification is kickin’ them outta they buildin'” – Harlem Streets
“My words will expose George Bush and Bin Laden/as two parts of the same seven-headed dragon/and you can’t fathom the truth so you don’t hear me/you think illuminati’s just a fucking conspiracy theory?” – The Cause of Death
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Lest I forget to mention his tremendously on-point tirade from “The Message & The Money” or the 7 man posse cut depicting the drug trade on every level (“Peruvian Cocaine”). There is also his epic love song with Jean Grae (“You Never Know”), proving that there is no ground Technique can’t cover. Really, what more could I say that the above quotes didn’t tell you? This is easily the most potent album of the year, Immortal Technique is a voice that hip-hop and society desperately needs to hear. Check the technique.
9/10
