Labtekwon

If underground demi-legend Labtekwon's latest release sounds old school, that's because it is. Mush Records has assembled a greatest hits collection for a Baltimore rapper who has released seven previous records and no hits. But some of the tracks of Song of the Sovereign are indeed great. Labtekwon has a history of lengthy lyrical exercises that ebb and flow over a spare beat, dirty-needle effect, thick bass line and the occasional flute hook. Take a listen to his dropped science and think back, way back, to the MC era, when lyrical dexterity meant more than providing an excuse for yet another uber-producer soundscape.