KRONDON - Let Em Live | Review By:
Conan
Milne
Release Date: March 1, 2010Label:
IndependentRating: 4/5
Dub Quotable:
This strange duality establishes Krondon as one of the West Coast's most interesting
lyricists - and one of its most talented.
..........................................................................................
Related Media Krondon
- Let Em Live (Free Album Download)
..........................................................................................
The great thing about Californian Hip-Hop collective
Strong Arm Steady is that each member has begun forging their unique identity.
Phil The Agony is the detached smoker, his rambling delivery always sprinkled
with thoughtful asides and humorous one-liners. San Diego's Mitchy Slick is the
self-professed "Steady Gang outcast," his blatant gang affiliation contrasting
Steady's occasionally conscious material. The conflicted Krondon has always been
a little harder to define. A lengthy staple of Los Angeles' underground Hip-Hop
circuit, he can sound inspirational in one verse and genuinely menacing in another.
Street album Let 'Em Live gives listeners greater insight into the MC, and he
proves to be a fascinating subject.Let 'Em Live
instantly compels with the fantastically urgent "I Ain't Runnin'." Over
eerie harmonizing arranged by DJ Babu, Kron' chastises those prone to overthinking,
claiming that they, "Miss the boat, sinking / Falling off the deep end."
The defiant chorus suggests that the Steady Gang MC has no trouble making his
decisions, as he warns authority figures, "They oughta be scared of me, 'cause
I ain't runnin'." After a wisely recruited Fashawn boasts of rolling with,
"Young guns who carry more arms than centipedes," our host returns with
noble sentiments. "My neighbourhood need an upstart," he claims, "When
things fall apart they leave miserable conditions." Such lines are an intriguing
foil to his more threatening bars, placing Krondon as the voice of a troubled
environment. On successor "For A Fee," Kron
maintains his position as a mouthpiece for the inhabitants of Los Angeles' murkier
neighbourhoods. Alchemist's production is sinister in its distant vibrations,
and prompts an unsettling Dizzle to assert his authority. "Hey Young World,
it's been a while," he rasps with insincere sweetness, adding, "I know
I left the streets to the fruitcakes and fragile." As with Krondon's best
material, there is something oddly victorious embedded in "For A Fee,"
particularly as a distorted female announces that, for the right price, "You
can have anything you want." Krondon's good intentions
are best displayed on "Calling Me Back." After warning those around
him to, "Stay away from the devils, and keep bandanas tucked," he affably
describes Strong Arm Steady as "the West Coast rascals." Chace Infinite's
simplistic chorus, meanwhile, effectively attempts to explain Krondon's complicated
relationship with the streets he references. "Everytime I think I get away,
the streets keep calling me back," he nonchalantly states, before contemplating
that, "There's got to be a better way..." The
only time Let 'Em Live wavers from being totally compelling is when its creator
offers the occasional generic cut. For a project that adds considerably to a listeners
perception of Krondon, "Never Be (Sucka For Love)" and "Cha Ching"
are as uninspired as their titles would imply. Omit them, however, and you're
left with a project that proves to be immensely listenable. Let 'Em Live leads
people to conclude that Krondon doesn't so much host a lone unique identity, as
incredibly disparate identities. On one hand, there's the man that stresses the
importance of a regional upheaval. On the other, there's the gangster that will
unhesitantly "release shells to make the wind whistle." This strange
duality establishes Krondon as one of the West Coast's most interesting lyricists
- and one of its most talented.
..........................................................................................
The views expressed here are those of the authors and not necessarily
those of Dubcnn as an organisation. ..........................................................................................
|