Anwar Sabreen does not approve your trite Disney references.
Ka is no longer a secret. He is Brownsville’s late bloom comeback story. He went from bowing out of the rat race gracefully, to crafting two critically acclaimed albums back to back. His YouTube channel had been transmogrified into a frigid project cul de sac via a slew of jagged black & white videos. He managed to concoct elegiac sounds that come off more like soundtrack cues than rap music. Ka has become revered as one of hip hop’s premier technical emcees. Hunger and maturity in unison. The vet and the rookie meeting in one body.
Linking up with producer Preservation yielded an excellent (albeit criminally short) 1200 B.C. EP. What makes their pairing so promising is Preservation’s understanding of what Ka has been angling toward since Grief Pedigree. The mc is only baby steps into his journey as a producer. His ideas are sound, but they’re often brusque and fledgling. He is much more threatening in front of a mic. Preservation, on the other hand, deals in a singular trade: the knock.
It was only a matter of time before bigger names came calling. Adult Swim’s annual singles series caps off with “Dead Prophet Report.” Following the foundation laid in 1200 B.C., Preservation handles the production. The beat is anchored by a bubbly electronic loop, with a girthy low end thump as its heartbeat. Trancy string layers, gritty distorted guitar and basslines, and murky warsong verses from Ka. This song hasn’t been talked about too much since it dropped a few weeks ago. My guess? A punk rock mystique surrounding Ka caused this song fly quietly below a lot of radars. It is here though. It is free. It is impeccably done. It should be in your rotation. End of report.
