Second pretty good album for King Sun, which is mainly dedicated to rapping with remarkable results. He doesn't give up on his beloved ballads, but fortunately his formula improves, in this way also songs like "Undercover Lover" seem acceptable: he rounds the typical formula of ballad rap, introducing a tight, simple and minimal rhythm, funky-jazzy skinny and worthy delivery, always smooth even if slower, simply leaving just an aftertaste of the ballad.
For the rest of the record, he's doing quite well, bringing pro-black topics on the table and maintaining a constant feeling of black pride and a strong link to the African historical and cultural heritage, King Sun is one of the first emcees to be influenced by Five Percent Nation. The production is good and coherent, made mainly by Tony D and King Shameek: they provide simple, minimal, tight and rough beats, composed of a skeletal and hard drum machine, a few funky or soul samples and a few jazzy bridges.
King Sun's braggadocio 'n conscious-political lyricism runs aground on repetitiveness, but his flow dope helps him especially in the more energetic tunes, where his hardcore delivery forges the best tracks. Poor Righteous Teachers is guest in "The Gods are Taking Heads". This CD is awarded by public and hit the charts (#54 among rnb records), despite all, Profile isn't satisfied with sales results and drops the artist managed by Russell Simmons' Rush. A solid and unjustly ignored album, his debut doesn't tempt you to discover his discography, but this effort deserves a listen, even if only to find out how a well done rap ballad should sound.
Highlights: "Be Black", "The Gods Are Taking Heads", "Big Shot", "King Sun with the Sword", "Cold New Yorkin'".
Rating: 7.2/10.
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