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View Full Version : Immortal Technique: Hardcore Political Rap


livius drusus
08-10-2004, 10:43 PM
I first came across Immortal Technique when Blake downloaded some tracks after hearing him played by an Atlanta DJ who noted that it was an "FCC no-no" and he wouldn't be able to play it again. Lyrics like this might have a little something to do with it:


They bombed innocent people, tryin' to murder Saddam
When you gave him those chemical weapons to go to war with Iran
This is the information that they hold back from Peter Jennings
Cause Condoleeza Rice is just a new age Sally Hemmings


So if your message ain't shit, fuck the records you sold
Cuz if you go platinum, it's got nothing to do with luck
It just means that a million people are stupid as fuck


Check to check, constant struggle to make the payments
Working your whole life wondering where the day went
The subway stays packed like a multicultural slave ship
It's rush hour, 2:30 to 8, non stoppin'
And people coming home after corporate share croppin'

I could quote the whole CD really, but it's way better heard than read. Check out Revolutionary Vol. 2 samples on the Viper Records site (http://www.viperrecords.com/imtech/revolutionary2samples/revolutionary2samples.html) (which is where I bought the CD cause I couldn't find it even in off the beaten track record stores). I highly recommend "Peruvian Cocaine" and "Freedom of Speech" for a good sample of IT's killer lyrics and sound, and "Homeland and Hip Hop", a track written and voiced by Mumia Abu-Jamal just for the album.

For an outstanding article that covers much political ground, see Allhiphop.com's three-part feature Immortal Technique: Undying Method: Part 1 (http://www.allhiphop.com/features/?ID=722), Part 2 (http://www.allhiphop.com/features/?ID=723), Part 3 (http://www.allhiphop.com/features/?ID=726). Here's (http://www.etext.org/Politics/MIM/bookstore/music/hiphop/immortaltechnique.html) a review from a Maoist site with some solid criticisms of the album, particularly wrt homophobic language (there's not much of it, but what's there makes me cringe). Here's (http://www.playahata.com/pages/interviews/interview_immortaltechnique.htm) an interview which answers one of my main questions; ie, how the hell does he get away with cover art like this without the Secret Service breaking down his door?

http://www.playahata.com/images/otherpics/immortaltechnique_insert.jpg

A guy in a suit who looks a lot like IT stands holding an uzi on the back of the CD.

Petra
08-11-2004, 02:55 AM
I've just scored some of this guy's stuff - still more to come. I'm right now listening to The 4th Branch for the first time.

His voice reminds me of Young MC, kinda, but without the hiphop-jazz crossover groove that Young MC has with all those funky polyrhythms.

Lyrically, he reminds me of Michael Franti's rhymes with The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, but sparser.

Dig it, liv. Thanks for turning me on to this guy. :)


Oh, and that album cover art rocks. I'm sure I've seen that very image in my dreams over the last 3 or 4 years. :eek:


Listening to Creation and Destruction now. Overtones of Method Man.


Edit: Beef and Broccoli just cracked me up. He's not into vegetarianism, is he? lol.

livius drusus
08-11-2004, 03:43 AM
I've just scored some of this guy's stuff - still more to come. I'm right now listening to The 4th Branch for the first time.

His voice reminds me of Young MC, kinda, but without the hiphop-jazz crossover groove that Young MC has with all those funky polyrhythms.

I never would have made that association in a million years, but you're right. If I'd ever heard Young MC sound pissed off, he'd sound a lot like IT.

Lyrically, he reminds me of Michael Franti's rhymes with The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, but sparser.

Dig it, liv. Thanks for turning me on to this guy. :)

My pleasure. It's like serving a tasty meal to Wolfgang Puck or something. :)

Listening to Creation and Destruction now. Overtones of Method Man.


Edit: Beef and Broccoli just cracked me up. He's not into vegetarianism, is he? lol.

I haven't heard the stuff off Revolutionary Vol 1 yet. I can see I need to get on that. :D

xorbie
10-22-2004, 06:37 AM
IT is pretty interesting, but I personally prefer his story telling tracks to his political ones. That said..


Check to check, constant struggle to make the payments
Working your whole life wondering where the day went
The subway stays packed like a multicultural slave ship
It's rush hour, 2:30 to 8, non stoppin'
And people coming home after corporate share croppin'

is excellent. His best song, IMO, is "You Never Know." And if you haven't heard Revolutionary Vol. 1 yet, wait till you give "Dance with the Devil" a listen. Holy cripes. I'd post lyrics, but you really have to hear it over the beat for the full effect.

And yes, as with many other rappers, homophic language/lyrics is existent... it's really the one thing I dislike most about rap in general, and especially when it's with otherwise good lyricists like IT.

livius drusus
10-22-2004, 01:29 PM
You Never Know makes me cry. I read in an interview that he rarely performs it live because it's so intense.

xorbie
10-22-2004, 06:47 PM
Yeah... it's up there with One More Dance (Nas), Bottle Dreams (Eyedea), All That I Got Is You (Ghostface) and some similiar songs.

Clutch Munny
10-26-2004, 10:46 PM
Try Mr Lif, especially 'Home of the Brave'.

Headline: Bush steals the presidency
He needs the backing of the media what could the remedy be?
The country's headed for recession reminiscent of the Great Depression
Are lives worth a world of power? Easy question

Planes hit the towers and the Pentagon
Killing those the government wasn't dependent on
It's easy to control the scared so they keep us in fear
With their favorite Middle Eastern demon named Bin Laden this year
Bush disguises blood lust as patriotism
Convincing the living to love "Operation Let's Get 'Em"
But when he realized we don't support their attacks
They needed something to distract, hmm, anthrax

This further demonizes Afghanis
So Americans cheer while we kill their innocent families
And what better place to start a war
To build a pipeline to get the oil that they had wanted before
America supported the Taliban
To get Russia out of Afghanistan
That's how they got the arms in
They're in a war against the Northern Alliance
And we can't build a pipeline in hostile environments

Here's what your history books won't show:
You're a dead man for fucking with American dough

They killed several birds with one stone
While you're at home with anti-terrorism up in your dome
But my eyes are wide open and my TV is off
Great, 'cause I save on my electricity cost
And you can wave that piece of shit flag if you dare
But they killed us because we've been killing them for years