Hip hop and rap have come a long way since their early days, emerging and converging as mainstream genres. The duo of Lazaros (Laz) and Mark-uz MidKnyte;  known as Dead Poets, hailing from South Bronx, NY, ‘birthplace of rap’, represent this convergence well. Their 15-song album Starving Artist has a song scape ranging from the sociopolitical to the lighthearted and personal. The distinctive rap styles of both artists come through on songs like “On the Grind.” Knyte’s baritone cuts through smoothly, while Laz’s tenor jabs rap punches.  The duo is at their best when collaborating with other artists. The album really takes off on tracks with J-Rock on “Tickled Pink,” Sadie on “Uncomplicated,” and L’Monte and Denae on “Irresistible.”  In some ways, this album is really two separate LPs– one with DP-centric raps, spreading their messages about the harsh realities of urban life and hardship, while the other is more lighthearted artistic collaborations.

Starving Artist starts off somberly with the funereal experience of “Resurrection,” a social and political commentary on America asking questions about freedom with snippets of political voices making it seem more like a eulogy for our country, stuck in the depths of war and economic struggles. The chill of the church organs adds to the social and religious undertones, not reassuring the listener that ‘we’re out of the clear.’  In many ways the title is foretelling of the hope that we all want when all seems lost. This hope is looming until the final track called “Dying”, which answers our biggest fear — there IS no more need to fear.   “Dying”, a bonus track like a few others on the album, ends Starving Artist the same way the album begins — funereal, in-your-face and somber, but, more like an affirmation to the resurrection. The mid-tempo swagger of “Dying” and its hypnotic incantations of  “and I’m ready to go to go oh” suggest Dead Poets acknowledgment of The Circle of Life and The Circle of Truth. 

While the album starts off with stark reminders of a murky destiny, Starving Artist’s album-titled song takes us into DP’s urban truth-telling world and forces us to take a hard and harsh look at it: “you can’t break the truth of a true starving artist.” While the subject-matter is intense, the punchy raps and like-able piano backdrops are easy to follow and don’t get munged up with the lyrics, giving the song some real pop potential.  “Tickled Pink” is another off-the-cuff radio contender with J-Rock’s charismatic, flirtatious reggae hooks “hey girl, tell me what you like.”  “Uncomplicated” starts off like Des’ree’s “Ya Gotta Be”, with soft string elegance. The acoustic guitar steers the song’s rhythm and Sadie’s soulful cries (reminiscent of Lauryn Hill’s stripped, raw vocal) added an easy-listening variation to the album that I found refreshing and interesting.  “Irresistible’s” pouty refrain and infectious beat sampling pulsates like a gentle jackhammer on the eardrums and would make for a great dance-party addition. These collaborations demonstrate the breadth of Dead Poet’s hip-hop range; unafraid to show their lighthearted side and dabble in other genres, but never straying too far from their rap roots.  After several listens, I found many of the songs growing on me and new dynamics in most of the songs to hook into.

Reviewed By Michael Morgan

Michael Morgan, Reviews Dead Poests, Starving Artist