Customer Reviews

Body of the Life Force

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just got it this morning, here's a track by track review of Body of the Life Force.

1) Intro - A spoken word type intro by Asun the Black Sun, pretty dope.

2) Soul Assasination- Production by Muggs (who else?). Not a bad beat, but not quite up to the level of either the other beats on this LP or Muggs previous work. Medium speed bumpin track with saxophone blasts, like I said, not bad. 7/10

3) Defeat- Production by Premier, this is the joint here. Bangin' track with tight horns and a female vocal sample. Afu's rhymes are tight on this one. 9.5/10

4) Big Acts, Little Acts (f/ GZA)- Production by True Master. Another banger as GZA and Afu trade rhymes over the dramatic Tru Master beat. Quotable by gza: "it's like gettin' stabbed with ice, and watch the evidence melt.." 8.5/10

5)Quotations- interlude type track featuring Afu acapella freestyling with a storm in the background.

6) D&D Soundclash (f/ Coco Brovas and jahdan)- Production by Da Beatminerz. Another previously released joint, this one features coco brovas over a reggae flavored track by Boot Camp's Beatminerz. Tek is dope as always. 8.5/10

7) Mic Stance- Production by Premier. This one was previously released and I wasn't really feelin' it before. This time, Primo switched up the beat a little though, enough to make it a nice track. It sounds like some Asian sounding strings were added in the background while some annoying sounds were taken out. Solid track 8/10

8) Caliente (f/ Rasheeda)- Production by Joe Quinde (?) This one is trying to add some Latin flavor to the album, but it falls short in my opinion. It's not the worst "Latin" track though, it just seems out of place. 6/10

9) All That (f/ Krumb Snatcha and Hannibal)- Production by Mike Rone of Fabidden. This track is pretty dope, kind of a gangstarr foundation second string posse cut. All three emcees come nice on this one over some a slow bumpin'beat. 8/10

10) Headqcourtaz- Skit- A nice beat with some guy (Headqcourtaz?) givin advice to Afu.

11) Self-Mastery- Afu drops knowledge on how to live over nice production by DJ Roach, who also did Mortal Kombat. 8/10

12) Visions- interlude- Dope production (for 30 sec.)by Premier I assume (no credit).completely instrumental, reminding me of old gangstarr album interludes.

13) Mortal Kombat (f/ Masta Killa)- Production by DJ Roach. This one sounds like a Wu-beat, and Masta Killa and Afu sound good together over the piano flavored beat. (Afu once again mispronounces taoist as tayo-ist...) 9/10

14) Warfare (f/ MOP)- Production by Mike Rone- A BANGER. Slow hardcore beats as the M.O.P. take over another track they're guesting on. 9.5/10

15) Equality (f/ Kymani Marley)- Production by Premier. Another reggae flavored joint, but it sounds completely different than the Coco B'z joint. Kymani does a nice job on the hook, and Afu drops some nice rhymes on equality. This is yet ANOTHER banger. 9/10

16) Monotony- Production by DJ Premier. Nice beat by Premier, but not spectacular. Fairly average track compared to the rest of the album. 7.5/10

17) Bring it Right- Production by P. King. This one has a more commercial bouncy sound to it, but it's not bad. Wack hook though, which kills it. Afu is solid, but can't save the track. Better than Caliente, but not by much.. 6.5/10

18) Whirlwind Through Cities- Production by DJ Roach (might as well be Premier though). You've probably heard this one, a dope track with a laidback beat that was Afu's first solo joint (its about 2 years old now). Good close to the album- 9/10.

Overall, this is definitely a solid album, especially if you're a Gangstarr/Premier fan. Definitely one to cop, you'll be nodding your head the whole time (except for that Latin track maybe). Only minus is they didn't include Trilogy of Terror- the joint with Hannibal and Guru over a slow Portishead sampled track. A great debut by Afu-Ra..

Longtime partner of Jeru the Damaja, Afu-Ra dropped what I believe is his first album, Body of the Life Force. Though I thinks he needs a little practice in the rhyming department (he has the tendency to start every fourth bar with "straight up and down"), there are enough gutter beats to keep any hip hop fan satisfied.

I heard "D&D Soundclash" (featuring Cocoa Brovas) from a mix tape and I fell in love with it right away, but the reason why I bought this album was for "Bigacts, Littleacts" with GZA. Unfortunately, the version I was looking for was the Premo remix, and that's not on the album; the less-exciting True Master original is on here. Oh well, at least the other jams don't disappoint: Premier's contributions such as "Defeat" and "Equality" all require extra rewinds, as well as the aforementioned "D&D Soundclash", the album's best cut, with its Barrington Levy sample and HEAVY bassline. Coming in at second is "Whirlwind Through Cities" with its sparse piano key licks, and the chorus is taken from a line Afu said on a song from Jeru's first album.

Guest stars are few and far in between (i.e., M.O.P.), and when they come, they all outshine Afu. But the one guest star you keep waiting for is nowhere to be found: who didn't invite Jeru to the party? Anyway, Afu got all the things needed to be a dope MC, he just needs that classic LP.

First heard as a guest on Jeru The Damaja's album (The Sun Rises in the East), Afu-Ra acquired his fans through his 12" singles. "Whirlwind Through Cities" and "Defeat" are those such joints, but even on tracks, "D&D Soundclashquot" (featuring Cocoa Brovas) and "Equality" (featuring Ky-mani Marley), Afu can also throw in some Rasta flavor to add a different aspect to this album. Wu-Tang flavor can be heard on such tracks as "Big Acts Little Acts" (featuring GZA) and "Mortal Kombat" (featuring Masta Killa). He continues to keep it live with such tracks as "Monotony", "Headquarterz" (featuring Krumbsnatcha), and "Warfare" (featuring M.O.P.), giving the album a very different, harder sound. The only two flaws are tracks "Bring It Right" and "Calienta" because they seem to be more of a disruption in Afu album's flow, sounding more like it was produced from Afu's old label, Gee Street. Nevertheless, while he's still not as good an emcee as Guru and Jeru, Afu-Ra certainly can handle his own and produce an album that has all the right ingredients for an enjoyable sound.

In this new world of Lil' *Your Name Here* rappers and beats that are coming from drum machine song banks and not the creativity of the producers themselves...this album proves to be well worth the long wait. While Afu's style might take a while to grow on some, this album is pure hip-hop and pure raw hard hitting beats. If you're wondering what people mean when they say "real hip-hop," then pick up this album and get the definition.

I have been an Afu-Ra fan since I heard him on Jeru the Damaja's cd's and this album just strengthens my respect for him. He has a tight knowlegable flow and skill, unlike most mc's today. Most of the stuff on this CD is original and won't be found anywere else, so I urge anybody who is a true hiphop fan to go out and get this certified classic. probably the best album of 2000.

Afu-Ra's "Body of the Life Force" is packed with witty rhymes and beats that complement them well, but the flow tends to be monotonous. The presence of artists such as Gza, Masta Killa, and M.O.P., however, saves some tracks like "Big Acts, Little Acts," "Warfare," and "Mortal Kombat," respectively, from being boring.

Afu-Ra is a talented east-coast rapper with strong lyrics--so strong that he doesn't feel the need to cuss much. This album is true hip-hop, where skills are pushed more than crew affiliation or monetary wealth. Afu mixes Eastern philosophies and sounds with intelligent wordplay. However, Afu needs to temper his flow because he gets too predictable. For example, he'll rhyme two lines and then make the third line sound totally different. One can almost tell when he'll make the abrupt change. The flow gets so linear that one can practically put the words in Afu's mouth.

Otherwise, "Body of the Life Force" is a solid piece of hip-hop with battle-rap-like tracks abound and multi-layered beats. There is essentially one flaw--the artist is almost as repetitive as his beats.

First introduced to the World by Jeru The Damaja, Afu-Ra the East New York (a section of Brooklyn, NY) native has built a steady fan-base through a consistent string of 12" singles, despite the major-label woes that delayed the release of his debut album, "Body Of The Life Force". Although his former label, Gee Street, folded, Afu has maintained a presence in the Underground, and hopes to spread his message even wider with the official release of his album, now through D&D/Koch Records. Caught somewhere in between the Gang Starr Foundation and the Wu-Tang Clan, Afu has no problem pulling off a solid release with "Body Of The Life Force". While the abundance of singles released from this album does leave us with only half an albums worth of new material, the time that passed between the release of the singles and the release of the full-length, gives us a retrospective view on many of these already classic joints. Experiencing "Whirlwind Thru Cities" & "Defeat" all over again remind us of the quality Afu has put forth over the last few years, and even on the more recent Rastafarian flavors, "D&D Soundclash" featuring Cocoa Brovaz & Jahdan and "Equality" featuring Ky-Mani Marley his ability to make timeless tracks shines through. But while this series of several previously released songs may seem like the party is spoiled for longtime followers, the album is actually sewn together very well with Premier's interlude and skits, adding the same flavor that made every Gang Starr release a classic. Thankfully, most of the new tracks add to the album's feeling of completion, and the solid guest list of artists who share Afu's similar ideals keeps the album's common focus. Early Wu-Tang flavor is captured brilliantly on both "Big Acts Little Acts" featuring GZA/Genius and "Mortal Kombat" featuring Masta Killa, while the classic essence of D&D remains on several album tracks, such as "Monotony", "All That" featuring Krumb Snatcha & Hannibal Stax, "Warfare" featuring M.O.P., "Bring It Right", and "Calienta" featuring Rasheedah. While he does drop knowledge in his rhymes, memorable quotes including "Wake up in the morning with the yearning for food" (a conservative flip on Pharoahe Monch's morning herb habit) or "Leave that Similak alone, breast feed your seeds", other times, his flexible vocabulary spitting and heavy-handed subject matter can lose the uneducated listeners attention. Nevertheless, while still not as seasoned of an emcee as his forefathers, Guru and Jeru, Afu-Ra certainly knows how to pull off what can be considered classic material, and definitely is rolling with the right crew.

I've been waiting for afu-ra's lp ever since I first heard him on 'mental stamina' with jeru. body of the life force is one of the best hip hop albums released this year. afu's lyrical wizardry combined with premo's golden touch makes for a masterpiece. "mic stance", "d&d soundclash" "defeat" "whirlwind thru cities (of course) , and "equality" are the best tracks on the album. buy this. p.s. i puffed with ky-mani from "equality" last summer.

Ever since Jeru's "Mental Stamina" I have been a fan of Afu. By himself however, he seems a bit boring. You almost forget that you're listening to the album. The cut with M.O.P. is live though. And the Coco Brovaz are on it. While the album is not wack, it lacks appeal, which hinders it from reaching the non hip hop heads. However, if you like pure NY hip hop, this is it. I like the album, but it is not for the "Bling Bling" fans, just the real hip hop fans.

There were 9 or 10 tracks off this album but 6 and 7 were the best.The beats are done by DJ Premier and you can tell on some of these tracks.Afu-Ra also does a good job coming off his hype from Jeru the Damaja's two albums.If you want some nice
Quality Hip Hop this is a good album to check out.
Lyrics-8/10 Production-9/10 X Factor-8/10 Classic-8/10 Replay-8
Total=8 out of 10 Fingers