Dead Poets “Starving Artist”
The music that emanated from South Bronx city parks is now a global phenomenon. Hip-hop is worldwide, but the Boogie Down holds the distinction of being its birthplace. More than thirty years later, Bronx residents Dead Poets stand strong for the music’s legacy. As the album title would suggest, Starving Artist captures the spirit of a crew on the come up, hungry and full of ambition. Backed by Audio’s full-bodied production, emcees Mark-uz MidKnyte (Nyte) and Lazarus (Laz) wield words as weapons, proving deadly in their verbal dexterity. While current chart-topping rappers may guarantee a hit single and/or ring tone, their album’s shelf life remains questionable. Laz and Nyte pull from their experiences to make boom bap for grown folks, a sound that remains true to the streets while being true to themselves. “Step Up” makes the case loudly, calling on the listener to take responsibility for their families over Audio’s rough and cymbal-laden beats. “Elbow Room” finds Dead Poets rhyming for bragging writes, the sampled horn stabs accentuating the backing track perfectly. “Tickled Pink” features talk of marriage, kids, and romancing with “strawberries dipped in Ketel One,” but all of this takes a turn for the naughty come “Irresistible.” Some might expect a little perversion with their beats and rhymes, but “Uncomplicated” reminds you of hip-hop’s ability (and necessity) to get grown. A light, shuffling rhythm complete with acoustic guitar strums provides Nyte and Laz the ideal setting to speak of the love they have for their children.
Hip-hop has been known to revel too much in excess, from blinged-out visuals to albums being weighed down by too many guests and too many tracks. Thankfully, Dead Poets suffers from neither. In fact, the guest vocalists add a welcome variety of voices, from the dynamic toasting of J-Rock to Ellie’s feminine flair. Jesse Calico is definitely one to watch, judging from his confident swagger on “Tropicana,” one of the album’s bonus tracks (“Girls, girls you know I gotta thing for you / boys I’m beefin’ with, chill…you should call my lawyer…”). Eastwood’s contribution, “Dying,” is an excellent piano-led selection with melancholy orchestra swells and vocal harmonies. Laz and Nyte even break out their humorous side on their bonus cut, “Stoner’s Paradise,” spitting verses wrapped in rolling papers and string-drenched soul samples. Cannabis props aside, this album is serious business. Check the knowledge dropped on “Classic” as an example:
“Truth is, hip-hop is more than iced-out chains / it’s about depicting the struggle from which we came / and hopes for change, MCs have lost their ways / held captive despite their freedom / where children are left alone with no one to feed them / besides BET and their PS3, time to reflect / we value dead presidents more than self betterment.”
Nas may have concluded that hip-hop is dead, but the music of Dead Poets provides a much-needed resurrection.
Reviewed By Jason Randall Smith
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