Song Of The Sovereign:Labtekwon

Title: Song of the Sovereign

Label: Mush/Ankh Ba

Genre: hip-hop

Rating: 6.8 of 7

Mush really isn’t known for releasing straight-up hip-hop records, usually more in the field of abstract electronica and other experimental meshes; but there is one particular hip-hop Mush release that is almost awkwardly similar to Labtekwon’s career retrospective Song of the Sovereign. Aesop Rock’s first major full-length, Float, was released on Mush a few years back, but it parallels this album pretty closely. They are both centered around the mile-a-minute introspective rhymes of the respected emcees, and are laced with simple, yet incredibly effective beats. While Aesop voice was distinctly baritone, Labtekwon is doused in the soulful rasta sound. In fact, his voice seems to be a combination of Lyrics Born and Mr. Lif. Proven and respected, Labtek has been circling the underground for a number of years; he has already shared the stage with the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, Brand Nubian, KRS-One and Digital Underground. He has been on the verge of breaking since ’99, and it’s really a shame he has never gained the attention that he deserves.

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