'Knowledge is King' - Chronic Redeye (album review)

Don’t let image issues fool you (emcee Redeye is one of those white Rasta types), ‘Knowledge is King’ is actually a pretty good representation of that Hip Hop meets Jungle meets Reggae type sound.

Don’t let the Norwich accent or the slightly slurpy delivery put you off either. Redeye’s recognisable voice sets him apart from other MC’s simply because no-one else sounds like him. Aside from that, the lyrics are well written and appealing. Almost crew members Franko Fraize and Lyrical T show up pretty often and surprise American guests are Main Flow and Bronze Nazereth.

The production is typically either a stripped away 90’s-ish boom bap or a blunted dub flavoured with a couple of nice outside influences (‘Nothing Lasts’, ‘STR8 Rugged’). Most of the production is handled by DJ Chronic although Mr. Laws, Dillijence, Fudalwokit and Wolftown’s Tricksta provide a few of the rhythms.

As a whole the album is quite primitive sounding although it’s evidently designed for their beloved sound systems and when you let the volume rip, the bass fills any vacuum you thought was previously present; this is sub-woofer music. Chronic Redeye have some distance to go where polished product is concerned but this is a fair few steps in the right direction.