Ka
The Night's Gambit


4.0
excellent

Review

by TigerStyle USER (3 Reviews)
June 17th, 2017 | 15 replies


Release Date: 2013 | Tracklist

Review Summary: From the days I behaved like a thug, I don't get rich from this. This a labor of love

At first glance, a game of chess and life as an NYC drug dealer seem to have almost nothing in common. One represents a constant struggle to survive, while the other is merely a thinking man's pastime. It takes a special kind of eye to see the similarities between the two, let alone make an entire album about their overlap. Through a series of intricately crafted cautionary tales, Ka does just that. Using a wealth of knowledge in both subjects and his unique point of view, Ka seamlessly fuses life in the gutter with the game of chess.

The album opens with "You Know It's About", and it sets the mood for what's to come. It features a nocturnal style of production, with relentless drums, and a guitar down pitched so heavily, it comes off as menacing. The instrumental itself is sparse yet strangely satisfying. It allows for Ka's incredibly gritty delivery to take center-stage. His flow takes on a pace akin to spoken word, and his rhymes are all the more impactful for it. Don't let this high attention to detail in production fool you though, Ka's true talent lies in his ability to craft endlessly quotable lyrics.

Though the overall theme of the track is about life as a crack dealer, it is rife with remarkably complex wordplay and immensely clever references. Whether its comparing life as a drug dealer to that of a church minister, or using double entendre of shooting guard, Ka is no slouch when it comes to writing bars. This track alone makes abundant use of complex metaphors, double meanings, and allusions to a myriad of topics all while retaining so much energy. Though it is an exceptionally good start the album, its not far above the rest. The album as a whole is remarkably consistent and continues to develop the gritty, hard-hitting sound pushed in this track.

To some extent, this could be seen as the pitfall of the album. Though the production itself is adventurous when compared to mainstream hip hop, it tends to stay pretty comfortably within the bubble created by the first few songs. There's clearly experimentation present, but not an abundant amount of variety across the 11 tracks. Some form of dusty guitars, distant drums and jazzy horns appears on close to every track, and some people may see this as a drawback. The song topics themselves however are a different story.

Though many of them will focus on at least some aspect of life as a drug dealer, there are a number of introspective tracks present. Perhaps the most interesting among them is "Nothing is", in which Ka reflects on his position in the rap game and why he continues to pursue a career in an industry in which many people simply haven't heard of him. It ends with a bittersweet revelation of his motivations and it provides for a surprisingly emotional moment on the album given the subject matter of most of it.

Overall, the album is a solid work of creative expression, and a testament to the idea that even a concept as crazy as chess and gang life can be made to work given the proper attention to detail and a passion for writing good lyrics. It is a gloriously gritty and nocturnal album with some of the most cryptic wordplay hip hop has to offer. If you're into out-there rap music, this is something you're sure to enjoy.


user ratings (87)
3.8
excellent


Comments:Add a Comment 
rodrigo90
June 17th 2017


7387 Comments


I came because of the x-men character.

And the chess board.

AlexKzillion
June 17th 2017


18076 Comments


How did this not have a review lol

Snake.
June 17th 2017


25415 Comments


pizzamachine is gonna file for copyright infringement!!!

TheCrocodile
June 17th 2017


2925 Comments


cool a review for this I really dug the Samurai one but never checked this one

Toad
June 18th 2017


2065 Comments


also kinda shocked this didn't have a review
good stuff

AlexKzillion
June 19th 2017


18076 Comments


seems like not too many reviewers on sput like to review hippity hop that isn't kendrick or rtj
old ass judas priest could drop an album tomorrow and get like four pages of reviews including two from staff and three from contribs
outkast could drop an album tommorow and it might not get reviewed for a week, and when it does it'll be a first review from a new user

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
June 19th 2017


32225 Comments


cool a review for this I really dug the Samurai one but never checked this one [2]

Conmaniac
July 19th 2018


27704 Comments


jammin Honor... rn

Conmaniac
July 20th 2018


27704 Comments


ill do this one next then

Papa Universe
July 20th 2018


22502 Comments


good idea

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
November 2nd 2023


32225 Comments


This guy's good. Underrated.

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
November 2nd 2023


32225 Comments


Also Pops :_ (

robertsona
Staff Reviewer
October 14th 2024


28224 Comments


Rest in peace

Jash
October 15th 2024


5232 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I’m at a loss for words, one of the most influential artists to me. RIP

Jash
October 15th 2024


5232 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

It's said the common thread with our enemies



Is we was all men in need with no amenities



Couldn't sit in peace, we each hit the streets for remedies



Through the hatred accumulate a hundred arms we was centipedes



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