[livius drusus]

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:

The 4th Branch

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

Industrial Revolution

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

Harlem Streets

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 (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, Part 2, Part 3. Here's 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 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?



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