Sunday, April 4, 2010

Dead Prez - Let's Get Free

THE MOST IMPORTANT RECORD IN HIP HOP?



THE MOST IMPORTANT RECORD IN HIP HOP:

DEAD PREZ - LET'S GET FREE Achs, Achowths, Brothers, Sisters, Friends and enemies, I have a treat for you today!


LET'S GET FREE

This is Dead Prez's debut LP, don't know Dead Prez? DPZ is a duo consisting of M1 and SticMan. The duo met some odd amount of years ago in Tallahassee, FL. The two shared interests in Politics, Revolution and Music and began to write rhymes together that reflected the three respectively; Dead Prez is born. Let's Get Free covers EVERYTHING that should be covered (i.e. The assassinations and mass murder of OUR political Leaders, Fake Rappers and The Music industry, Healthy ways of living etc. etc.)


This Album instilled within me many principles of a warrior and gave many other comrades the critical musical backdrop needed to conduct local community revolutions.
It is exactly ten years from the day this album was released in 2000 and today, this album is still critical. Therefore, it is being resurrected here as one of the single most important album in Hip Hop and our Culture and communities as a whole.


Let's Get Free is equivalent to reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Seize The Time by Bobby Seale, Assata, The Red Book, The Black Panthers Ten Point Program and Eldridge Cleaver's Soul On Ice.
I had the unequivocally special privilige to meet these brothers on several occasions and I am pleased to report that these brothers are indeed REALER THAN REAL! SticMan is a more laid back quiet type and M1 is a pretty talkative dude who even cracks jokes here and there.
Now, that the introduction is out of the way, let's get to it... song for song.




Wolves (Intro)
A haunting string begins to wax and wane thru the speakers as suddenly Wolves begin howling, a voice speaks, that voice is none other than Chairman Omali Yeshitala. The eloquent speaker and chairman of InPDUM (International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement) Omali relates a story of hunting a wolf to the conditions and mind sets of youth in the inner cities. You can feel the chills run up your spine as Chairman Omali speaks. I never listen to this LP without listening to this opening first. IT IS THAT REAL!


I'm a African
Immediately following the Omali speach a rowdy drum beat revs up and blasts off into your eardrums with the all too familiar chant of I'M A AFRICAN I'M A AFRICAN AND I KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING! This song is all about identifying with self, The Knowledge of Self is MOST CRUCIAL! This song, the lyrics, the beat is VICIOUS!!!


They Schools
I know this one all too well as I lived this song in reality. This line from M1 explains it all:
School is like a 12 step brainwash camp/
that make u think if you drop out you aint gotta chance/
to advance in life/
They try to make you pull yo pants up/
students fight the teachers and get took away in handcuffs/
M1 is a precise lyricist as well as his brother Stic, they never beat around the bush with the point and you aren't left waiting for the chorus to hit before you can find out what the song is trying to say; you know it from the very first line!
This song is of utmost importance, our children become prisoners to this system at a vital age in growing and understanding the world, all the way through to the first stages of adolesence. School influences the way we view the world, The Government and other agencies understand this all too well; Infiltration of the school systems began ages ago.
The train us to build up THEIR SYSTEM, THEIR SOCIETY, THEY GET RICHER AS THE POOR GET POORER and we are the builders of that destiny!


Hip Hop
Uh, one thing 'bout music
When it hit you feel no pain
White folks says it controls your brain
I know better than that
That's game and we ready for that
Two soldiers head of the pack
Matter of fact who got the gat?
And where my army at?
Rather attack than not react
Back the beats it don't reflect
On how many records get sold
On sex, drugs, and rock and roll
Whether your project's put on hold
In the real world
These just people with ideas
They just like me and you
When the smoke and camera disappear
Again the real world (world)
It's bigger than all these fake ass records
When poor folks got the millions
And my woman's disrespected
If you check 1,2,
My word of advice to you is just relax
Just do what you got to do
If that don't work then kick the facts
If you a fighter, rider, lighter, flame ignitor, crowd exciter
Or you wanna just get high
Then just say it
But then if you a liar-liar, pants on fire
Wolf-cry agent with a wire
I'm gon' know it when I play it

DON'T LET THE MEDIA AND THE FLOOD OF ALL THESE FAKE ASS RECORDS CLOUD YOUR VISION AND JUDGEMENT.


Police State
Another speech by Chairman Omali opens this critical hit! A slow moaning sample begins to awaken, sfx are heard, this dirty sample leads the drums on and BAM! They hit you Stic Man begins spitting his Mathematics on the Police State we are all trapped in. he begins by boldly saying he'll throw a molotov cocktail thru the window of the Precint.
He continues by orgainizing the hood under IChing banners, exposing hidden cameras installed all over the inner cities and even outside of it. Stic Man is calculated with his verse, He is direct and to the point, he doesn't sugar coat a single line, he is true to his convictions to enlighten you and wake you up.
M1 picks up on the second verse after the chorus summarizes the point they convey thru out. M1 gives his Math about Political Monsters and pretty boy house niggas who are fearful of the system and others who are addicted to this fast life of the American Dream. This track is unforgiving and HARD!

Behind Enemy Lines
Behind Enemy Lines is a metaphor for being locked up, even more, a political prisoner. This song is first about Fred Hampton and Fred Hampton Jr. (Natives of my very own hometown, Chicago, IL) Fred Hampton Senior was Assassinated December 4, 1969 at 4AM, he fell victim to the hands of a dirty pig. R.I.P. FRED HAMPTON, LONG LIVE!

Assassination
Nothing to play with, but, M1 and SticMan GO THERE! A plan of action must be set forth if we want FREEDOM! Dead Prez warn from the bottom of their hearts that we are not even safe with a full clip!

Mind Sex
This song is an example of how a love song SHOULD BE DONE! This song is beautiful and is lead by a guitar gently strumming and plucking soulfully. The drums are very smooth and do not distract you. They lay down honest poetry directed to a love one about getting inside of her mind and having honest conversations before ever taking her to bed. This song is definite JAM! The song is taken out skillfully by The Last Poets' Abiodun Oyewole, who performs a Poem.


We Want freedom
Taken right fromt he Ten Point Program developed by Huey P. Newton and The Black Panthers. Stic begins the track by talking. The track drops.... The bass wangs....The beat and verse Jump Off! Stic Man spits a What IF line about not having water, contaminated Water Supplies, Taking the life of someone you know and love for survival. He concludes by stating he has cousins in the military, but as far as he's concerned, they died when they registered.
M1 is vicious with his verse and spits Epithets on common quotes and sayings and Principles extablished in the Quran, Bible, Nations of Gods and Earths and The BlackPanthers.
This song makes you want to jump up and Revolt or go march on the system. AND FOR GOOD REASON!!

Be Healthy
GOTTA LOVE THIS SONG. The Instrumentations is soulfula nd beautiful; The lyrics are Pure hearted and educational! Checkout the chorus, it sums up the whole song!
They say you are what you eat, so I strive to be healthy
my goal in life is not to be rich or wealthy
cause true wealth comes from good health, and wise ways
we got to start taking better care of ourselves
They say you are what you eat, so I strive to be healthy
my goal in life is not to be rich or wealthy
cause true wealth comes from good health, and wise ways
we got to start taking better care of ourselves, be
healthy y'all . . .

Prodigy(of Mobb Deep, who was at the time a label mate of Dead Prez's on LOUD Records) wraps up the track with a speech.

Discipline
this begins with a telephone conversation between two comrades, one is trying to get the other to come out for a festival and have fun, while the other says he has things to take care of and priority is principle.
This song doesnt feature any rapping, it does have a cold beat tho and a chorus about discipline, showcasing FULLY the importance of having discipline first, without it we can not accomplish anything.

Psychology This song is in deep need of being studied, line for line! I TRULY LOVE THIS SONG! This song should be required listening in school. The world needs this song! it details and outlines after masterfully laying out the entire psychology behind current events that persist now from ancient times since the establishment of psychology. The song exploits every angle Psychology is used in society!

Happiness
What doesit mean to be happy? What makes you Happy? Sunchine and beautiful scenery? Building with your elders? Teaching the children? This song is a HIT! LISTEN TO IT NOW!

Animal In ManThis song requires a few listens to truly grasp it's nature and intent. I will leave you to it.

You'll Find A Way A well done orchestration of Hip Hop and Jazz. No Lyrics just listen to the pure beauty of this joint and let the music in it tell you something that will touch your heart with out a shadow of a doubt.

It's Bigger Than Hip Hop This is Part II tot he Critically acclaimed Hip Hop. this song also features co production by Kanye West. A nice joint with some dope features from fellow comrades.

TRACKS 17 - 43 4 seconds of silence on each of these?


Track 44: Propaganda
A bonus song, that exploits the Media system and their criminal ways of brainwashing the people with propaganda. THIS JOINT IS HIGHLY EDUCATIONAL!!!!

Track 45: The Pistol Something a revolutionary should never be without. THIS SONG IS HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's all I can say about this. Dead Prez must have been starving when this album was made!


CONCLUSION:
I just thought about the track set up, this is what I got out of it:
the first 16 tracks are bullets in a 45, which there just so happens to be 45 tracks. These 16 are 1+6 which is 7 and these first 16 should be studied diligently and used FIRST IN ALL SITUATIONS!!
If, in a situation of dire importance to life and the people as a whole. Theses 16 can be loaded up into the 45, the 44th track is propaganda, Enlighten yourself to the target. The last track, track 45 is the The Pistol, time for ACTION!
THIS ALBUM IS DEEP AND IMPORTANT TO MAN AS A WHOLE!!!


GRADE:
Lyrics= A++
Production= A++
Replayability Level= 10 (SOLID!!)
Overall= A++

THIS ALBUM IS CERTIFIED REVOLUTIONARY AND LIFE CHANGING!!












0 comments:

Post a Comment