Locksmith: Embedded

Yeah, so I’m late on Locksmith. Dude’s been around the block on the underground but I haven’t been checking for him. I say that to say this, I’m not comparing this release to any previous work. Locksmith is an MC through and through. Which is why this album comes off even at its worst as a solid LP representing what mainstream hip hop is missing. Substance.

It took me getting a few tracks into the album to land on the equally instrumental and conflict heavy Stokely Camichael. No one is safe from the “verbal assault weapon” as he likens his peers to the coonery on Meet The Browns.

Easily offended? Then skip Silly Negro where the half black MC goes in on black america, Commander In Chief included. Arguably, rightfully so. Lock cites the media, religion and the youthful “do what I want” motto as the cause for lingering “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome.”

There are two polar sides to the so called conscious MC. You’ve got the soft spoken and clever quips of Nas, Common and Talib. And then you have the harsh, aggressive tongue of Dead Prez and Immortal Technique. Lock finds himself nestled right in the middle. He speaks smartly but strongly, with a lot conviction in his words.

Lock directs his frustration with the music industry, or more specifically with terrestrial radio, at Mr Program Director via ”Instead of playing songs, you selling niggas commercials… That’s why I never listen to the radio.“ It’s a beef that’s as old as radio itself. Though I think it’s too focussed on a single point of failure the song is lyrically solid and on many levels transcends genres.

In 100 Millions Views he accurately points out that “There’s some east coast niggas that never heard of me“, it’s like he’s talking about me. In this song though, he kinda hints at a desire to be an attention whore. As if only he’d share more personal thoughts and random happenings in his life he could in fact have 100 million views.

In a world where people get more news and human interaction through Youtube, Facebook and Twitter Attention Whore takes a jab at the human desire for fame. “If everybody’s straight then I’m gay. If everybody’s gay then I’m straight. If everybody’s love then I’m hate. I don’t give a fuck if people talking about me. Long as them mother fuckers keep talking about me.”

Metabolic, he raps. That’s it. No message, no eloquent quip, just the bravado that you’d expect from a seasoned MC. Give me 3 sixteens and a dope beat. I suspect he channeled his inner battle MC on this track. I’m a big fan of substance but know that not all music or artists have to have any. This was a nice change of pace for Embedded.

Give it a listen and if it doesn’t deserve a place in your queue well above the likes of other recently released albums, turn your hip hop card in.