Field Audio: suite_f_a

By Mike Beggs

Bill Urale, aka King Kapisi, has created a unique style in the follow-up to 2000's gold earning 'Savage Thoughts' with this more experimental album. With a recently launched clothing label, Silver Scroll, b-Net, and various other awards hanging like platinum chains from his credentials, Kapisi slams amateurs on this latest edition released through FMR. Featuring appearances from Che Fu and DJs CXL, Manchoo and Kamikaze you would expect a straight up punch of hip hop, but no, our knockout champ is sparring in several arenas this round. Singles Conversate and U Can't Resist Us have already appeared with cracking videos, and despite the challenges it mounts this album looks set to surpass its predecessor. In tracks such as the mellow reggae laced Problems, the eerie Greener Pastures accompanied by Spikey T, and Back 2 Basics, a jazz meets hip hop ballad, King Kapisi showcases his range of musical talent and taste. Nearly every track on the album is again written and produced by him and the lyrical content consisting of punch-lines and battle rhymes, does begin to stumble after repeated listens. Without the traditional sampling of hip hop production, he has created beats that sound like a merger between hip hop and drum 'n bass. A technical knockout.