Kris Ex
NPR Music contributor.
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African-Irish rap trio comes with a timely mix of immigrant emotions from a first-person perspective that's as personal as it political.
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Veteran Bay Area rapper re-emerges with snarling Black nationalism on an urgent and aggressive declaration of intent.
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With the notion of authorship dispatched as silly and inconsequential, the way has been paved for even greater corporate influence over hip-hop.
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When even the biggest stars in the world are relying on extramusical gimmicks to hype new albums, what's an unknown rapper supposed to do to get noticed? Maybe fake a profile in the paper of record?
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It's almost as if, on The Marshall Mathers LP 2, he's trying everything to be accepted and unacceptable, all at once. Yet his ability to be lyrically captivating through it all is astounding.