The first thing I noticed when I picked up this album was the A-list selection of some of the worlds most prominent and dopest hip-hop, reggae artists. For the hip-hop heads there is Papoose, Dead Prez, Young Buck (glad he isn’t in G-Unit anymore), Rakaa (Dilated Peoples, Zulu Nation, Rock Steady) and one of my favourite rappers, Talib Kweli. For the reggae heads you’ve got Capleton, Buju Banton, Sizzla, Anthony B and Kardinal Offishall, so as you can image I was hyped to bump it as soon as I got it!
I was expecting big things from this album and I wasn’t disappointed, right from the word go you are hit with mean production of the highest quality. K-Salaam and Beatnick are at the top of their game, and with K-Sal doing all the scratching on the album, he gets extra points in my book. The cuts are very clean and funky!
There were so many highlights for me starting with ‘We Gotta Take it’ featuring Papoose & Busy Signal, both hip-hop and reggae heads will dig it, with a hot female vocal on the hook and straight fire on the militant vocal from both artists. ‘Street Life’ sees Buju and Trey Songz calling for peace on this slower number. Buju brings the heat with Trey doing the sing jay hook with a deep message, ‘Gangster, you don’t have to bust your guns tonight. Those days are over. You don’t have to run into the street life.’
Talib Kweli laces a mean boom bap number on ‘Feel’, the beat is ill and Talib kills it on a number of levels. There are so many dope highlights for any lover of bass heavy music with a positive message. Other stand outs are ‘Fallen Soldierz’ featuring Dead Prez, about a fallen friend, ‘Babylon’ featuring Sizzla & Young Buck (and before you think Young Buck & Sizzla come on) it’s a dope track with both artists shining.
Luciano brings the irie vibes in ‘What Are We Fighting For’, one of the more reggae inspired beats on the album which had me reaching for the green! I really dug ‘Bad Mines’ feature Saigon, he brings a hot flow and the beat, which reminded me of the 80s, got me bouncing!
‘Where I’m From’ is another stand out for me, the beat is classic funk inspired hip-hop with drums that made my head nod and Rakaa is one of the most underrated MC’s in the game.
Straight up K-Salaam & Beatnick have hit the nail on the head with this release. The album is incredibly varied and the production (the beats) is the glue that keeps it all together. Whether it is reggae, hip-hop or spoken word, everyone sounds like they belong on this album, which is a very hard thing to achieve. There is also a strong message in this album addressing politics and peace.
Whose World Is This? has something for nearly everybody that’s into hip-hop or reggae, I highly recommend it to anyone that is a lover of all thing bassy! Enjoy!
4\5
Sticky
