SAMPLE SUNDAY----THE DEFINITIVE PRAYER EDITION

Good to be back...better yet, GREAT to be back with Sample Sunday!  It is fitting that on this Sunday, where my beloved Ravens squeezed out a victory on a wing and prayer, and Orioles Magic is in full effect at Camden Yards against dem damn Yankees, I celebrate a joint that should be heard.  A joint that evokes a sense of spiritualism, not necessarily in content, but in sheer bravado.  The artist in question just released his critically-acclaimed album A Dream Deferred.  Please cop the physical of this dynamic album or go to iTunes:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/dream-deferred-bonus-track/id556175668.  I will save the review for later, but in the meantime lets talk about a song that I think is just incredible from a lyrical aspect.  "The Definitive Prayer" is a spectacular display of lyricism, bringing forth comparisons to Hip Hop visionaries such as Rakim, Nas, Kool G. Rap, and the like.  Included on his Great Debaters mixtape, "The Definitive Prayer" is almost unmatched in this emo, trap beat, "bands to make her dance" environment that is inhabited by my Hip Hop brethren at the present moment.  Name ONE song that can touch this joint.

 

 

Produced by !llmind, with the accompanying video by NC's finest Kenneth Price, you get this visceral sense of a man that is ultra-introspective within the context of Hip Hop.  You do not get this on a regular basis within this culture of ours.  However, as soon as Skyzoo rhymes, you get the sense that something very unique and special is upon us.  The dope soundscape is from the brilliant catalogue of David Axelrod.  His 1968 gem, "Holy Thursday", is the engine that drives Skyzoo's lyrics.  If you are not familiar with David Axelrod, peep his expansive body of work.  I am sure that you will get a hint at his genius (check the dope sample for Dr. Dre's "The Next Episode").

 

 



 

Songs Of Innocence is the Capitol Records album that "Holy Thursday" comes from, and it is nothing short of awe-inspiring.  When I first copped this album a few years ago (on a beat-digging venture of course), I was moved by each and every psychedelic/jazz/funk/rock/soul joint included.  "Holy Thursday" stood out among the collection of songs because a very visual story arc was told with this five-plus minute song.  I guess that !llmind conjured the same imagery in his "ill mind" (pun intended), because the drums and orchestral arrangements are the key to Skyzoo delivering one of the most vivid displays of lyricism this game has seen in quite some time.  This song is very reminiscent of O.C. with "Time's Up", a classic among Hip Hop classics.  What are your opinions of Skyzoo, "The Definitive Prayer", and David Axelrod's "Holy Thursday"?  I welcome your comments and opinions, and remember that this so much more than a passing fad.  Hip Hop is a culture, so we should all treat it as such.  I'm pretty sure that Skyzoo does.

 

Website:  http://www.skyzoomusic.com/

Twitter:  @Skyzoo

Facebook:  TheRealSkyzoo