Killah Priest Albums (8)
What The Critics Say
Beautiful Minds may display Killah Priest and Chief Kamachi's names at the same font size, but it's the Wu-Tang affiliate and Sunz of Man leader Killah who's running the show with Army of the Pharaohs member Kamachi acting as sidekick. In that respect, Minds is a dirtier and, true to its title, more lyric-driven alternative to Killah's other 2008 release, Behind the Stained Glass. This is apparent right from the get-go, as the opening title track boasts "It's the illest team/You ever seen/Since Jay and Beans/We are the Nazarenes" over Emonex's grinding production. True to its lyricist lounge spirit, the accessible numbers don't come round till track five when guest rapper Planet Asia nails his guest shot on "Illest" as producer C Sik and beat-maker DJ Rhettmatic collaborate on the dramatic, giant robot music. Producer Tekneek's strings and watery piano on the following weed anthem, "Most High," recall Wu man RZA's work, but Dev Rocka's indie beat sounds on the following "Time Out Revisited" sounds like he's auditioning for Nicolay's gig in the Foreign Exchange. Killah and Kamachi have no trouble navigating all these diverse productions by alternating between freestyle-filled rhyming sessions and purposeful, direct numbers like the "still standing" anthem "All Been Buried" or the spiritually minded closer, "Scrolls." On the latter, Killah offers "It's so dark now/Don't think the righteous will shine/But I think like all 12 disciples combined" while Kamachi speaks of Solomon and "I had a role model like him/It was Kane and Rakim." Killah fans will have no trouble embracing this, while Kamachi proves himself officially "slept-on." ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
'Behind the Stained Glass'
Release Date 5/20/2008
Tracks 16
Label Traffic Ent.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
After a well-received debut, Heavy Mental, and the disappointing follow-up, View from Masada, Wu-Tang affiliate (a group with whom at this point he has pretty much broken all ties) Killah Priest fell below the radar, releasing a couple of impressive but poorly distributed albums and spending much of his time working with his groups Black Market Militia, Sunz of Man, the Maccabeez, and the HRSMEN. He most certainly wasn't off the map, but he wasn't at the forefront, either, and although The Offering probably won't catapult him to the top of the charts anywhere, it should help to re-establish him as one of the most talented MCs out there. For most of the record, Priest explores his by now typical Biblical themes, adding in allusions to historical leaders, from Hitler to Caesar to King Solomon, war imagery, social concerns, and a healthy dose of braggadocio, setting himself up as a Jesus-type figure, a messiah, here bringing truth and "real hip-hop" to the world. It's actually pretty impressive how he continues these motifs, from the ingenious rewriting of the Lord's Prayer in "Ghetto Jezus" ("Our father who art in jail I shall be thy gangsta/Thy kingdom of guns and thy will swing a razor/On the street corners as it is in prison," it begins, and just gets better as it goes along), twisting religion and violence until they become one, like his own moniker, to "Priesthood," where he declares himself king of New York, to the title track itself, where he implores the audience to listen to his rhymes and take something from them, each track full of impressive lines ("The bars you spit I use for chin-ups/Soon as you lay 'em down, I press the bench up," he spits in "How Many") and intelligent reflection. Toward the end of the album, Priest moves into commenting on life in the ghetto, and even though it happens a bit suddenly -- the production changes, as does the MC's flow, both moving a lot more towards an early 2Pac sound -- and the tracks break from the previous feel of the album, they're strong enough that they don't detract too much from his overall vision. The Offering is an impressive display of lyricism and intelligence, both from Killah Priest and his guests (who include Immortal Technique, Nas, and Ras Kass, among others), but based on the MC's track record, unfortunately it probably won't give him the attention he deserves. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Though Killah Priest isn't one of the high-profile members of Wu-Tang, time and again one in their middle ranks will release an amazing record, oblivious of the charts (if not the production blueprint of a solo Wu-Tang record). So it's no surprise that Black August is a quality release as well, driven not by money producers but by Killah Priest's potent rapping skills and occasional flashes of poetic lyricism. The skills come across in spades on gritty, street-level tales of extra-legal activity like "Robbery" and "Do the Damn Thing" that, importantly, never fall prey to sensationalism. Like Ghostface Killah, Priest also has the ability to convey the power of hip-hop in a song, the same fleeting feelings evoked by all those dusty soul samples on Wu-Tang records. He lays it out on the chorus of "Black August (Daylight)," the opener -- "It's so beautiful, unusual, and remember y'all/this is no rap, these are moments captured on a Kodak." Notorious B.I.G. it's not, but that's exactly what separates Killah Priest from the hundreds of East Coast rappers busy scrapping for nothing more than multi-platinum records. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
One of the most slept-on MCs in hip-hop, Killah Priest has dealt with more than his fair share of industry problems. Though he denies rumors of a beef with his mentors in Wu-Tang Clan, the rapper was noticeably absent from their disappointing The W. And despite solid sales and critical acclaim for his previous solo albums, Killah Priest was dropped from his major-label deal with MCA. But as one of hip-hop's finest lyricists, Killah was not about to be held down, and the self-released Priesthood is a razor-sharp statement of purpose that finds the underground MC in peak form. Songs like "Madness" match a profound, sociopolitically charged consciousness with an uncanny eye for urban detail, with Nicrocist's atmospheric production supporting Priest's dense rhymes. The irresistibly catchy "My Hood" is even more potent, with spiritually charged lyrics bemoaning the state of the streets backed by a funky, guitar-laden riff and singalong chorus. But the all-star appeal of "Horsemen Talk" makes it the album's most remarkable cut. A preface to the 4 Horsemen's eagerly anticipated debut, the song features Priest, Canibus, Kurupt, and Ras Kass -- arguably the most underrated MCs in rap -- trading vicious rhymes that will make weak MCs sit up and take notice. This underground manifesto may not break any sales records, but without major-label money or the big-name producers it usually affords, Killah Priest has released one of the year's most powerful hip-hop albums. ~ Bret Love, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
As one of the late-arriving members of the Wu-Tang Clan, perhaps it isn't surprising that Killah Priest doesn't follow the RZA blueprint as strictly as his peers. His debut record, Heavy Mental, uses the signature Wu sound as a foundation, stretching out RZA's impressionistic soundscapes with weird samples and drum loops. Nevertheless, Killah Priest isn't strictly about sound -- he's about the entire picture, and his lyrics are decidedly stranger and more ambitious than the average late-'90s rapper. Heavy Mental is filled with weird religious imagery, unpredictable symbolism, and strange allegories, all of which are married to production that is the aural equivalent of his verbal surrealism. As a result, Heavy Mental is a welcome surprise -- the rare, late-'90s record that not only has ambitions, but also fulfills them. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
