K-Salaam And Beatnick - Whose World Is This

In the now ever so consciously un-aware and politically devoid world of Hip-Hop it's more important than ever for us as fans, critics, consumers and providers to seek out and support artists, acts, bands and whomever else within our genre that stands for something and is calling for action.

I was born in 1984, and unfortunately I wasn't around to hear first hand the ground breaking hip-hop music that was being churned out at that time. It was music that was ripe with unabridged political and social messages that the white corporate world hadn't yet corrupted. I was fortunate enough to have had a brother who was 18 years my senior and who was bitten by the hip-hop bug. He had all the records man....from Bambaataa to Kool Herc, he had it. I can remember as early as the age of about 7 or 8 hearing him play those records around the house. At the time all I liked were the sounds and the drum beat, I had no conception or understanding of the words that were being rapped, other than the fact that they rhymed together. As I got older and re-explored my brother's records post his ejection from my father's houshold I discovered that these "MC's" were talking about something on these songs. They were all saying something more than what they were sayng, but I didn't know what it was (sorta like the first time I heard Wu-Tang). At first the message was really alien to me, then I got a lil' older, and the world got a lil' colder. At the tender age of about 13 I was beginning to fully understand what many of the pioneers of hip-hop were trying to get across in their lyrics. After all I was very much apart of that disenfranchised sect of America that hip-hop artists were speaking for. I was broke, Latino and my parents struggled constantly to feed me and my siblings, as well as keep us on the straight and narrow. The music was reflecting what was going on in my neighborhood. Whether It was "White Lines" or "The Message" it was clear that those old records my brother had couped up in his old room were more than just music.....they were life. They were a documented history of what was going on in the mid to late 80's and even the early 90's. They were remnants of a time when hip-hop was boundless and the lyrics were simple, yet omnipotent.

I've waited for some time to see hip-hop take the reins over itself once again and return to it's true "golden age" and start reflecting what's really going on in America. In return I've waited well over a decade and seen more and more artist's focus on getting paid with corny gimmicks, silly dances and a sneering, contemptuous outlook toward women. Sure there's been a few twinkles of hope here and there...the 90's gave us many visionaries like Mos Def and Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, Public Enemy, Paris and Immortal Technique. Unfortunately, it has become increasingly harder for dudes like that to get a lil' change for their considerable effort and keep their careers goin' strong. Shiit, guys like that are having a harder and harder time getting shows as well. At this point I've given up hope in the "things gloriously returning to the way they were as a whole" dream for hip-hop and decided that maybe just gaining a healthy balance between the bullshit and the real shit would be okay.

Enter in K-Salaam; the ubiquitously talented producer of Iranian descent that calls Minneapolis his home, who has a penchant for including Reggae artists heavily in his projects. Creating a nice lil' stir within the game via his very scrupulous and civic minded music. Salaam has been lucky enough to have been able to routinely score the services of many of the game's most talented lyricist's. His debut album "The World Is Ours" alone boasted names like Mos Def, Saigon, Dead Prez, Papoose and Sizzla. His second offering "Whose World Is This" comes complete with all the amenities that Salaam is known for providing. Luxuries like a stellar lineup of well known and worthwhile talent, some of whom are making their sophomore appearance on a Salaam LP. Rakaa of Dilated Peoples, The Outlawz, Saigon, Anthony B., Sizzla, Buju Banton, Kardinal Offishall and Talib Kweli all headline what is sure to strike any political hip-hop and Dancehall fan's fancy. This time around Salaam also brings with him fellow beatmaker Beatnick, with whom he's already released a mixtape with for good measure. I suppose Beatnick has a pretty good presence on this LP, but really it's somewhat unnoticeable except for a few shoutouts. I don't have the production credits yet so I don't know who produced what exactly, so I really couldn't tell you his level of involvement, but I'm guessing that if they put the man's name on the cover it's pretty high. To backtrack for a moment though, I would like to say that the beats on "Whose World Is This" are excellent. I really was thoroughly impressed with Beatnick and K-Salaam's efforts in that department and that's big because a lot of times 2nd and 3rd editions of producer compilation albums have a tendency to be less meaty as their first installments, but that's certainly not the case here. One of the many highlights that sticks out to me on this album is the brilliant "Vieques P.S.A." joint brought to us by the legendary NY hip-hop radio personality Bobbito Garcia. Garcia goes in and describes the terrible consequences including contamination from toxic metals and other chemicals that the people of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques are enduring because of the United States use of the island as a weapons testing site. Shit was on point and Bobbito, who has been crusading against this mistreatment of his people since the late 90's, delivers a powerful message that should be spoken on much more often. Damn, that PSA is just one of the many masterful socio-political messages that intertwines magnetically with K-Salaam's conducive production. This is the type of music that can be the counter-balance. This is the type of stuff, that if we support it, can make waves in a very big pool. See, there isn't any difference between what K-Salaam is doing and the spirit of what MC's in the 80's were doing. They all are/were trying to entertain, no doubt, but they chose to use the reality of our world as the template for their expression. To me that's the riteous and truest way to be an artist. Don't get me wrong, I love music about love and about everything else, but damnit, there wasn't nuthin like the days when Kool Herc was spittin rhymes about "bein close to the edge", or when Pac was onstage roaring lyrics about "bein the son of a Panther". That was hip-hop and K-Salaam see's that hip-hop can still be a beacon of truth and he's down to bring the world some of the culture's new Pac's and Kool Herc's as well as some guys that hail from teh same country as a cat named Bob Marley, who if I remember correctly practically birthed all of these cat's state of mind politically or otherwise. I salute Salaam in his efforts, and I encourage him to keep it up. Tracks to check for are Saigon's "Bad Mind", Black Ice's "The Wurld Is Ours" and Talib Kweli's "Feel".

-BIG D O



01 k-salaam & Beatnick - Whose World is This (intro) 02:22
02 Papoose & busy Signal - we gotta take it 03:16
03 Buju Banton & Trey Songz - street life 04:07
04 Talib Kweli - feel 04:14
05 Sizzla - sail on 03:57
06 Kardinal Offishall & Solitair - as we continue 04:49
07 Black Ice - the world us ours 04:39
08 Dead Prez - fallen soldierz 04:28
09 Young Buck & Sizzla - babylon (must be mad) 03:06
10 Luciano - what are we fighting for 04:37
11 Saigon - bad mind 04:30
12 Bobbito Garcia - vieques P.S.A. 02:10
13 Capleton - never let us down 03:54
14 Rakaa - where im from 03:09
15 Outlawz - the truth 04:37
16 Anthony B - revolution 03:51
17 Suheir Hammad - refugees 03:29

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