MF Grimm- American Hunger (review)

CD1.
When faith is lost. A beautiful song outlining Grimm’s dedication to his lady. Hard for me to put into better words than the man himself has already done…Wicked easy going beats coupled with the main man’s simple yet potent amorous storytelling.
‘we were made for each other, that is clear,
you are the reason why I am still here…’
Right there and Yes or No are quality and prepare the listener for the delicate onslaught on the emotions of The Trees; which is a track capable of melting the heart of the hardest G, the coldest Scrooge, the most savage Despot….
In terms of flow, Still my Love takes the top spot from this set of 20 from King Grimm.
A Mother’s heart brings to life in word the horrific story of a lad who fucked over the wrong crowd…While Street General relates the poverty and harshness of the streets, the oppression- which comes from the top- and the racism prevalent in modern-day America.

CD 2.
Fuck You- Driving beats like thunder in the night create the perfect backdrop to Grimm’s aggressive but wicked sounding chest beating. Another artist spitting these same rhymes would sound arrogant and annoyingly boastful but the lyrics in this track erupt from Grimm’s larynx like repeated blasts from a sawn off 9 gauge. Quality.
Dark Skies- Delicate, emotive guitar loops. Mix with refreshingly poignant poetry from Nate Denver while the protagonist nods his head in preparation, waiting to steal the limelight, which after Nate finishes with a flurry, he does, by adding robust vitality to Denver’s clever scene setting efforts…
‘deaf on the poor taken as a joke,
The President’s retarded and he’s sniffing coke..’
Bashton the Invizable man announces his presence with style to herald the end of this beautifully crafted piece of music.
I Love You- Brotherhood, trust, loyalty and treason are all explored in this powerful lament of Grimm’s former life hustling on the streets. A tried and tested theme in this genre but the words don’t feel contrived, they come out the speakers honestly and with gusto.
Agony- Nate Denver constructs several wise verses over relaxed, flowing beats before passing the mike over to my COmmander in CHief Mr Grimm.
Crazy, It’s no secret, Things I’ve Said and Teacher are also amazing.

CD3
Adam and Eve- ‘fuck the clan, or any man,
Who hide behind politics and bibles,
And stop me from survival,
No longer do I contribute to genocide like I did,
I chop trees; I plant seeds for the kids,
But when this war comes, I’m flipping wigs,
Power to the people,
Fuck these evil pigs..’
Grimm hurls a tirade of anger at the world that has formed him. An almost abrasive rhythm intensifies the pain in his voice.
Heaven can wait- I can’t say for sure why, but feel this is worth mentioning: The staggered tune that bounces throughout this track evokes thoughts of The Untouchables, more specifically of Al Capone.
Manhattan Murder- For once the praise must go to someone other than King Grimm, as Mez outguns his comrade in this sinister voyage through the Manhattan underworld where death lurks in the shadows…
G.O.D (Government of deception)‘Im the bearer of light
Shining for my brethren,
Hell isn’t nothing but the shadow of heaven’..
A tribute to George Bush. It’s time to rebel…
Brand new and No one are soothing, positive anthems. While Twin Peaks transports the listener deep into the ether to be wowed by the fresh talent of Hasan Salaam and his Day by Day colleague, the aforementioned Mez.
Book of Daniel- I used to be one of MF Doom’s most vociferous fans…that was until he sold himself out to the mainstream and started producing shit.

The track on the new Grimm album called ‘the book of Daniel’ painfully explains why I now hate Doom. Not only is he a sell out but he has done the dirty on the very people who helped make him who he used to be when he was a proper artist and not just some hollow prick who makes up words that rhyme(which he is now).

Some people may not like Grimm’s sound or his message, but when he speaks he means every damn word he says. That cannot be said of Doom, who I now slanderously and grimly(hahahah) conclude is a money grabbing wench who got too carried away with the sound of his own voice…I can’t even enjoy Operation Doomsday these days such is my anger at Mr Dumile. A truly shallow individual…I used to think it pretty cool that he hides behind that mask but now I think it is sadly accurate of his lack of identity and need to contrive an image.

”i met this kid, he seemed righteous, he represented knowledge, yeh him and his brother they was real smart, but then is brother died and he was taken in by a grand master, but from what I hear this kid Sambo was A SNake, A RAT, he stole shit, and ran away to another state….’ ‘
(Sambo is Doom)

For many years I have placed Slug at the pinnacle of emcees, partly due to his intelligence and flow, but mainly due to the ease of relation between him and me as human beings. However, whereas Slug has now matured into essentially a more relaxed family man, my own Existence has continued to yearn for music busting at the seams with vitality, which is where Grimm lives, in terms of the aural landscape. It matters not that I haven’t lived on the streets, packed heat and lost friends to drug deals gone wrong, I can still feel Grimm in every word he utters. And that is why the veteran New Yorker has edged his way to the highly coveted position of King of the mic.

Seriously superb hip-hop.

I love to write. But when it comes to writing about Hunter S Thompson or MF Grimm I encounter problems. This is because they excel so much in their respective fields that I can’t help but feel inferior and concerned when trying to do their talents justice, in words…An impossible job perhaps. Still, at least I am spreading their good names thoroughly throughout the virtual world and hopefully, winning these two undoubted demi-gods more exposure and fans…

Valdez View rating 10/10

I don’t have much respect for humanity as a species. Plenty of contempt, fear, dissapointment and rancour, but not much respect. There are a few exceptions to my scorn, few folk who warrant my awe and admiration, my attention and respect. Hunter S Thompson is one of these few, as is MF Grimm. Whereas Hunter encourages me to become a better writer and to live life with optimum zest, Grimm inspires me to be a better man.