Balance

Akrobatik | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 20, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Coup D'etat
• ASIN: B00008X5BF
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,590 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Prelude to Balance

2. Balance

3. Hypocrite

4. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

5. Remind My Soul

6. Feedback

7. Wreck Dem

8. The Bonecrusher

9. Woman Pt. II

10. Always Bet on Ak

11. Limelight

12. Time

13. Here and Now

Editorial Reviews

From URB Magazine

For years, Dorchester, MA’s own Akrobatik has shown that he can rip a mic. But brags will only take you so far, especially for someone as intelligent as Ak. You know that Akrobatik has now arrived from one listen to "Remind My Soul" on his brand-new platter, with reasoned-out, old-soul lyrics detailing the increase in ignorance among his African-American peers caused by a decrease in self-respect. With guests at a minimum, except for well-chosen vets like Diamond, The Beatminerz and his long-standing compadre Mr. Lif ("Wreck Dem," a foretaste of the duo’s Perceptionists album), Ak shines just fine all alone. "Balance" and "Cooler Heads" talk sensibly about problems in the rap world today, stretching out into society-at-large; "Time" is philosophical; "Here and Now" is straight-up sentimental and mushy. And there are some old-style Ak brags too, to show he hasn’t shed his skin completely. Overall, it’s a well-rounded record you can’t help but love.

Brian Coleman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Junkmedia.org Review - Stepping up, June 11, 2003

By 

junkmedia (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Balance (Audio CD)

At the end of the '90s, as the hip-hop underground was bubbling up to the surface, Akrobatik, a native of Boston, MA, was a consistent presence at hip-hop shows throughout New England. The venues were almost always questionable, hidden from civilization; the sound was always bad, a mic was always dead. But Akrobatik would come through, work past the technical difficulties, and hit the audience off with an energetic set. In retrospect, I realize I had a front-row seat for Ak's "paying dues" period, a rapper's (expected) rite of passage. So I was excited to see that Akrobatik released Balance, his first full-length record.

The record is a testament to those years of hard work. Balance is successful where much recent indie rap fails: rather than waxing nostalgic for hip-hop's golden age (be it '88 or '93), Akrobatik has made a record that sounds straight from that era, full of boom-bap and straightforward rhymes. Musically, this is due in part to the production efforts of Diamond D and the Beatminerz, who share board duties with younger talents such as Fakts One, Edan and Ak himself. But it is Akrobatik's emcee presence that is most reminiscent of early '90s hip-hop. His cadence is reminiscent of KRS-One without the excess bluster, and his flow is fluid and versatile -- check the smooth transition to and from a Jamaican patois on "Remind My Soul," or his rapid delivery on "Front Steps" for evidence.

Topically, Akrobatik isn't charting out undiscovered territory, but that doesn't seem to be the mission here. As he lays out on the title track, Ak is trying to establish equilibrium between the essential and the progressive without playing "a nerd or a thug," today's common emcee prototypes. Balance is an appropriate name for this record; perhaps its only uneven aspect is the lack of guest rhymers -- Lif and Diamond D each appear only once. As nice as it is to hear a rap record that isn't saturated with posse cuts, it's hard for the best rhymers to carry a record on their own. That said, Balance is a solid return on dues paid, a document of a talented and hard-working artist's fruit of labor. And in putting it together, Akrobatik pulls off the considerable feat of evoking nostalgia for rap's golden age without taking a backward step.

Rob Albanese
Junkmedia.org Review

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome album, October 16, 2006

By 

JCHYSK - See all my reviews

This review is from: Balance (Audio CD)

I haven't heard of Akrobatik until recently and I just got this album. I thought it was great and I can't believe I haven't heard of this guy before. It's difficult to find good hip hop artists these days when all these no-talent clowns are being pumped up by the media. I think if you're a fan of Blackalicious or maybe even Michael Franti you ought to give this album a listen. I'll have to check out his other work since the other reviewers think it's a lot better than this.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Maintain Balance And You Won't Fall Off (4.5 Stars), December 15, 2005

By 

Norfeest "Yes Yes Y'all" (Washington DC USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Balance (Audio CD)

I'm not sure what took me so long to get it, but I'm just coming across this album. It never made a blip on my radar I guess. Anyway, I saw it at a local record store in the used bin for $2.00 and it was hardly used -- even the jewel case was flawless (it looked like it was only played once and then taken back to the store). Obviously the owner before me didn't know what they had on their hands and the store manager didn't know either due to it's low price tag. Balance is a must have album without question. It came out in '03, I'm just getting it here in late '05 and it still sounds fresh. There are so many bangers on this album that listing them would make this a five paragraph review. Of the 16 joints (including the bonus track), I'd have to say that 14 of them are amazing. Akrobatik rhymes with an honesty and realism that is rarely heard in rap (even amongst underground emcees). The songs compliment and play off of each other without them all sounding the same.

I did mention that there were two songs that I could've done without. Those songs are "Hand That Rocks The Cradle" and "Always Bet On Ak". They aren't bad, but I find myself skipping them everytime I play this CD.

Balance is a must have LP. I still feel a bit cheated since I just found out about this album. There has to be some sort of promotion for this guy. I did get the Black Dialogue (Perceptionists) album and I knew about The Lost Adats and The EP, but somehow I completely missed this one. Don't be like me, if you haven't heard this yet, grab it as soon as you can. You won't regret it. This is one of the best albums on 2003. Highly reccomended.

Standout Tracks: Time, Woman II, Remind My Soul, Balance, Hypocrite, Limelight, Front Days, Here & Now, Wreck Dem feat. Mr. Lif, Cooler Heads, Feedback feat. Diamond D, and Bone Crusher