Via KevinNottingham
The greatest asset of wisdom is said to be experience. With our recent week highlighting Jay-z, most saw how good an “older” emcee is and can be when reflecting on the x amount of years in the game. While Hov is an exception to plenty of hip hop rules, Buckshot and KRS are certainly amongst the wisest in hip hop, even though not as prolific as Shawn. Still, under a different spotlight, it’s safe to say that Buck and Kris never hinted at the type of caliber they showed during earlier moments of their career through their recent performances. Buck has sounded uninterested and has been forgettable, while KRS has been unbelievably repetitive. This duo venture, entitled Survival Skills, sponsored by the great people at Duck Down, seems to have lifted not only the spirits of the two respected emcees, but also their momentum, ferocity, and hunger. Survival Skills outlines all that it takes to be a great emcee in the cut-throat, fast moving industry, and it is this return to the blueprint that sets the stage for the most impressive record from both Buck and Kris in a long while.
The undeniable success of Survival Skills lies in the hands of the people behind the boards. The production is amongst top notch quality from the likes of Black Milk, Illmind, 9th Wonder, Havoc, Nottz, MoSS, Marco Polo, and Khrysis. Starting with the could-be-G-Unit Illmind banger “Survival Skills,” the album sets a tone familiar to War Zone or Sneak Attack, instilling notions that these vets can still rock with the hard, rugged sound and lay down tremendous lyrical instruction and spectatorship. Black Milk provides infectious and musical production on “The Way I Feel,” featuring a surprise spot from Mary J Blige. All four hip hop juggernauts mold marvelously and everything clicks, even Buck’s laid back, fatherly introspection balances perfectly with KRS’ more aggressive and angry persona. Black Milk doesn’t stop there; check “Runnin’ Away,” featuring a similar branch from this particular tree of hip hop, Immortal Technique. The beat comparable to any elite work Black has in his catalogue, and Tech’s verse may be one of his most impressive since Volume 2.
There are plenty of features on Survival Skills, many of the curious nature. The Slug featured “We Made It” exemplifies the influence the duo has on just about any hip hop artist, and Slug, in the middle of these two, works perfectly alongside the Illmind trademark sound. K’naan’s political attire tied in with his vivid story depictions are show stealing on “Think of the Things,” and the DJ Mentplus beat wins, as well. A Sean Price verse is always welcomed, especially when backed by an epic Khrysis heat rock, as heard on “Amazin’.” While this may be the duo’s most forgettable performance on the album, the rhyme scheme is right up Sean’s alley and he makes definite use of his time to shine after two legends.
Overall Score: 78/100
