Akrobatik- Absolute Value

By: Matt Kelly

((2.15.2008))

Boston must get pissed off sometimes. Despite a number of great MCs coming from the city, none of them have ever really blown up bigtime, except for Guru who most people associate with New York anyway.

Enter Akrobatik. Though it's been five years since his debut Balance, he hasn't been sitting around with his thumb up his ass. 2005 saw the release of the excellent Black Dialogue from his group Perceptionists. But now it's time for Akrobatik to put himself back in the spotlight with Absolute Value- is he finally going to get Boston some shine?

Probably not. Akrobatik ain't wack but this record lacks the X factor needed to really turn heads. Akrobatik's simple formula is to keep it fresh, keep it dope, but I have the feeling he'll end up preaching to the converted rather than reaching new audiences.

Maybe that's enough if you're looking for a reliable hip-hop fix because that's what Ak's bringing. From the opening track A To The K, with Ak's attitude filled "Not the gun but MC son!" over Illmind's no-nonsense beat, you know you're dealing with a real MC:

"If this is your introduction then where the fuck you been?
It's been years since my records first started to spin
I'm from the era where you had to work your hardest to win
A lot of records dropped you never heard the artist again
But in my heart is the desire to win, I'm on fire again
Ignite the mic and let it strike my opponents
Blazing through your stereo components from the moment that you press play
Feels like the start of your best day
'Shit is hella dope' that's what my heads out West say
Ask my homie B Real from the Hill, Ak got skill, plus something you can feel
I got pop appeal but I keep it concealed
Like an automatic weapon but that's not what I'm reppin'
I'm reppin' no half steppin', that's the lesson"
-A To The K

This is what most of the album is comprised of, amusing and dextrous displays of mic skill. On Soul Glo it's laidback as Da Beatminerz pepper the track with fun horns and piano while Akrobatik asks where the soul went. Step It Up again sees him challenging the inadquate MCs on the shelves today but has a different, angrier vibe thanks to Hezekiah's aggressive beat. It's the title track that's his mission statement though, J-Zone's futuristically funky keys serving as the backdrop for Ak's promise of quality hip-hop.

It's not just about telling us how dope he is though- message songs are often saccharine from many MCs but he hits it out the park on Kindred. You know something's different when Chuck D makes a guest appearance but doesn't rap, just giving a solemn spoken word intro. Ak's verses tell tales of African American misery, contrasting the slave days with modern day hardships like the Hurricane Katrina aftermath.

"Brown skin is now purple, it comes full circle
The pain that I endure is the pain I'll have to work through
For now my body lies listless, wishing that my wife wasn't forced to witness
Wishing she wasn't forced to be master's mistress
Wishing she wasn't forced to be under this distress
How did we ever get into this mess? We came from kings
Now we wearing rags, eating unmentionable things
The stings from the welts on my back make me wanna attack
And be a martyr for blacks but then the whip cracks
And brings me back to reality, madness, brutality
That leads to fatalities
And if he knew I was reading his books and getting smarter
It would only make him whip me harder...
I'm on my rooftop sick and thirsty asking god for mercy
Please spare my wife, she's only thirty
Schoolbuses float atop murky waters
Could they have used them to at least evacuate our sons and daughters?
We sleep because we have no choice
Dehydrated and we can't scream for help because we have no voice"
-Kindred

With Illmind's sombre flute laced production and a haunting hook, it's real food for thought. Kindred isn't alone in the 'serious' category either- throughout Ak tries to mix carefree rhyming like Ak B Nimble with sincerity like the tribute to the lady who's held him down through the bad times, Back Home To You.

Guests? Any Little Brother fan won't be able to resist Pooh and Phonte turning up over 9th Wonder production on Be Prepared. That's not the only reunion on offer though as Mr Lif and DJ Fakts One drop by for a full on Perceptionists joint called Beast Mode. And a whole other super-group appears on Put Ya Stamp On It, Talib Kweli on the guest, J Dilla on the beat. If you're not salivating to hear these collabs, I'm surprised you're reading this review.

Still for all the praise I've given the record, Absolute Value is good but not incredible. The album does little wrong but it also does little new. Those looking for progression or to get their mind blown may be underwhelmed- I can partly see why Akrobatik gets slept on as while he's always decent he's rarely spectacular. But if you just want good old meat and potatoes gimmick free hip-hop, Absolute Value will give you just that.

Favorite Tracks: Rain, Be Prepared

What to Do? (Buy/Frisbee): Try before you buy...