Saturday, October 16, 2010

Kno - Death is Silent (2010)


Kno shows once again why he's one of the best producers in the whole scene. I wasn't terribly excited for this CunninLynguists side project, but any expectations I did have were most definitely exceeded. Kno's production is as great as ever, though here it's a little darker than usual, obviously so that it fits with the theme of the album: death. This is also the most we've heard from Kno as an emcee in quite awhile, though there are a good few guest spots here. He's perfectly capable as a rapper; he doesn't have the most presence, and isn't really outstanding in any single quality, but he's very solid overall. I especially enjoyed his performance on La Petite Mort, some interesting Greek mythology references in there, among other things. Highlights-wise, there's not much to speak of because this album is so consistent. I'd basically be listing all the songs but two or three. It is definitely notable, though, that what may be the two best songs are placed right next to each other; the one-two punch of La Petite Mort and Rhythm of the Rain is definitely the best part of the album.

While Kno might not have the most commanding presence on the mic, he definitely does on the boards, and while the multiple guests are nothing less than welcome, there's by no means nothing wrong with him on the mic. Surprisingly, Kno's solo album, which didn't receive that much hype, turned out to be better than most recent CL albums, as enjoyable as they are. If he keeps this up with Oneirology and Chico and the Man, he'll pretty much have the underground rap scene in a chokehold.

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