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Underrated emcees; there are a lot of them out
there, but one of the most underrated emcees that I know of is
Rahlo. Who is Rahlo, you ask? He is the blackSoil project. He became
known in most people's eyes through his appearance on the Mars ILL
classic Raw Material , but since that time people seem to
have forgotten about him. Since appearing on Raw Material ,
he became a part of the ReServed Records camp and released his
Ulterior Motive EP . This EP was an underground hit and
received high acclaim from both the secular and Christian markets;
but, at the same time, the album appeared to go unnoticed. Now, it's
2004 and Rahlo is back, teaming up with DJ Level, to release his
first full length album The Calm Before the
Storm.
So, what's this CD all about? The Calm Before
the Storm is a collection of songs that focus on some of the
elements of real life and the way we choose to live it. Every song
on this album is a deep look into the life of Rahlo and speaks a
strong message of life and true freedom. “It Ain't the Shadow” is a
perfect example of a track in which we get a deep introspective
glimpse at Rahlo. The recent birth of his son is what prompts him to
write this song as he takes a long hard look at himself and the
person that he has become, the shadows that he's hidden, and
discovering what it all means. He even goes as far as to question
what he should pass on to his newborn son through his life. This
song perfectly expresses the love of a true father, and the concerns
that he has about being that figure in his family. “Ebb and Flow” is
another deep track over which he laments & takes a look back at
his time with his deceased father; there are a lot of strong
thoughts in this song and make you appreciate your time with your
loved ones.
With “What We Do,” Rahlo speaks on how powerful the
use of words are in our lives and how the use of them shape
everything around us, including our relationships. People use words
without really thinking a lot of times; but, here, he calls us to
action to concentrate on the messages that we're trying to
communicate to others. Pretty much staying along the same lines,
“L.O.S.T.” (the law of space and time) expresses concern about how
artists claim to know and understand the power that their words
hold, but fail to use those words they speak benefit humanity. This
is a charge to all artists to let them know that their words to
indeed affect people.
Even with these deeply conscious tracks, this album
still expresses a lot of fun, even in the midst of expressing social
concerns. There are quite a few remixes on this album from tracks
that were on the Ulterior Motive EP . I wasn't expecting
these tracks, but the manner in which they were redone was done in
good taste because I enjoyed all of them. The remixes give a glimpse
back to his previous work and continue to speak on issues that
needed to be revisited. Also on this album, there are a few
instrumentals. My favorite instrumental is “Ranzaa” which has a very
heavy comic book & cartoon feel to it. On these tracks DJ Level
rip it up and show us that he's got skills.
To sum things up, I don't think this album is for
everyone. Yes, it's a fun album, but at the same time, it's very
dark and introspective. This is the kind of album which requires a
mature individual with an open mind to grasp everything that is
contained in this album. There are a lot of messages to take hold
of, and you almost feel exhausted, yet rejuvenated, after listening
to this album. With that being said, this is a very solid album with
no visible flaws. Like always, Rahlo puts his best foot forward and
releases quality material. If you can handle this album, it's worth
picking up.
Suggested
Listening: Mars ILL “Raw Material,” Sintax the Terrific
“Simple Moves,” Wordz “You Haven't Heard Me Yet”
Key Tracks:
“L.O.S.T.,” “Ebb and Flow,” “It Ain't the Shadow”
Review Rating:
4 stars out of 5
Reviewer:
Trailblaza
Used with permission from
www.HipHopForTheSoul.com
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