Army of The Pharaohs In Death Reborn

For The Fan Presents: 

Army of The Pharaohs “In Death Reborn” (2014) Review

It’s interesting to see how underground hip hop has evolved. Groups and rappers that are outside of the mainstream have found a way to put pencil to paper and create lavish landscapes of poetry, and no one listens. No one online seemed to be talking about the drop of one of the best hip hop records of all time, that’s right, of all time, and it’s not coming from Eminem or Jay Z. Drake and the rest of the boys that are making big money on lackluster vocabulary, need to step back and let Army of The Pharaohs start to bring forth a new era in rap. On this year’s release, “In Death Reborn”, the group ties together all the loose ends and knocks down the most vocabulary words you can possibly think about into a stellar example of how you rhyme just about anything with extended verses.

Forget 16 bars, forget 2 minute songs where cuss words and derogatory words towards gay people are the norm. Forget about the light weight verses that made household names of former cast members of Degrassi, and start to pay attention to what the Pharaohs are driving through on 57 minutes of music and 14 tracks. From the introduction track, “Curse of the Pharaohs”, you get punched in the gut with a lot of bravado. The group backs it up through their rhymes, and while they may be iconoclasts in a game of rap that only rewards those that are sitting front row of NBA games, this is unique and should shake even the most jaded music fan.

From the first introduction of Vinnie Paz, you know you’re in for it. The group drops similes and metaphors across tracks that sound like 1980s horror and slasher movies. There are highs and lows, crushing points, and a lot of anarchy going on here. You’ll be lost in the way that these guys flow together. Some of the names that you’re going to hear on these tracks include Apathy, Lawrence Arnell, Celph Titled, Vinnie Paz, Crypt The Warchild, Esoteric, Zilla, King Syze, King Magnetic, and a who’s who list of rappers that you’re not going to find on any top 10 hip hop list.

If nothing else, Army of The Pharaohs brings through old school hip hop beef, heavy handed lyricism, and a swagger that is missing in hop hop today. It’s offensive, it’s iconic, and it’s relevant. You are not going to find another hip hop group that showcases so many fearless verses, and flows so well together. Wu Tang is forever, but the Army of The Pharaohs are setting up an empire to compete with them. Again, I’ll say it, this could very well be the best hip hop record of 2014. The sad thing is, too many will miss it. Listen to this, and put away your children’s rap from Drake and the rest of the 1% elitist. How can you start from the bottom if you were on a Canadian soap opera making six figures? Just saying. “In Death Reborn” is real, raw, and poignant.

Pros: Eclectic lyricism, East Coast rap, hardcore

Cons: Some listeners are going to whine about how it’s not radio friendly