Artist: King Mook

Location: Jonesboro, Georgia (by way of Waterbury, CT)

Album: Black P.O.E.T (Reloaded) EP

Release Date: 2017

First and foremost I would like to apologize to King Mook for taking so long to get this review out. Along with life itself getting in the way, I would like to take this time out and say Rest in Peace to my boy Terry Smith, and also to my guy Big Norm Roberts. It has been a rough couple of weeks for ya boy emotionally…but the show must go on.

 

Onto this Black P.O.E.T. Reloaded though!!!! For the listeners out there that have not heard of this young man, it is okay. Today is your lucky day! I have known King Mook (I call him Mookie: his momma call him Mookie, I’ma call him Mookie) for nearly all of my life and let me just say, this kid can flat out spit! B.P.R. was produced by Pyrex Apollo, who certainly handled the beats brilliantly with this project. I personally think they make a dynamic duo on this EP, and it seems effortless. That’s the word that I would give this tape: effortless (I’ma give yall a one word description from now on, lol). In this time where everyone is trying to ride a wave, Mook taking his time and shining all on his own, effortlessly. “Stand alone, comfy in my own skin”…he says it himself.

 

The EP has nine tracks on it, and you do not want to miss any of them. He got his tracks where he is spitting that spit, but some of these tracks come with powerful messages that are inspiring to wake up and become a positive change. The beat selection was excellent, and I will not waste any more of your time here, my people. I’m gonna get right to the track previews and what you can expect when you put this EP into your rotation.

King 2.0 is KNOCKING. This is the intro track, and I’d say that it really caught my attention. Mook has a lot of bars in this track, and he uses this Pyrex Apollo banger to exercise his lyrical ability and let you know who he is: K.I.N.G.

Following King 2.0 is Concrete Rose (ft. Tessa Jay), which I will say right now is my favorite track. Pyrex Apollo blessed us with this feel-good beat, and Mook definitely did his thing with it. The hook is very uplifting and the message with this track is inspiring. “Did you hear about the concrete rose? And how it made it through, nobody knows, but despite the obstacles…still it grows”. Obviously, this is an ode to Tupac’s The Rose That Grew from Concrete poem, and it is a great continuation of that with a story of inspiration for all to follow.

Next up is Egos Collide, which is another knocking beat. I mean, think about the title of the track. You should know what to expect here: a true message about how sometimes your friends ain’t really your friends when it comes to pursuing your dreams. You do not want to skip over this track, my peoples. For real.

The Black P.O.E.T. Interlude features a Pyrex Apollo/ChnlSix production where Mook kinda gets some things off his chest. “G.E.D geniuses, college degree dummies”….Basically, he up here tellin y’all that anybody can possess the knowledge of the realness happening around us all, and no level of “education” is immune to ignorance. The beat is mellow, but hard at the same time. I like it a lot.

The next track is Ninety-4our (Pyrex Apollo) features a sample from Blackstreet’s 1994 classic “Before I Let You Go”. Easily my favorite beat on this joint. Now, with Blackstreet in mind, y’all get a glimpse of Mook’s slick-talk with a track with the ladies. Ladies, I think y’all will enjoy this one too. You can get up and get your two-step on real quick.

Black Odyssey is a track that I can tell Mook certainly took his time with. For those of y’all who do not know what the Odyssey is, it is an ancient Greek poem that followed a man on a journey. In Black Odyssey, Mook touches upon several different areas that those in the black community must go through: alcoholism, police brutality, mental health…this track is very deep. Very thought-provoking.

The next track, Pressure follows life’s societal pressures to make money. The track tells a story of a person at his rock bottom, resorting to a shake-down for a come-up. However, the story takes an interesting twist that you do not want to miss!

Name Your Price ends the project, and it is another hard, gritty track with a hard, gritty hook. The track asks people hoping to be successful, how much they are willing to give up for it. King Mook puts down some more introspective, yet hard-body bars on this track.

The last track has no hook on it, and it features C Dubb. The track, produced by Pyrex Apollo yet again, is called FOE pt 1. This beat is nice and smooth, and these guys just out here rapping that rap. It has a real 90’s rap, Golden Era feel to it.

 

Final Verdict

Whatever type of elements of hip hop that you think should exist within a hip hop project, BPR got it all. Story telling? Got it. Bars? Got it. Fire beats? Got it. Additionally, aside from Tess Jay, this album has no other artist features on it; meaning, he can stand alone and hold his own. This EP has a combination of beat-types and track-types that can satisfy any type of listener. (Except for them mumbly, bumbly, “dabbin all in the videos” listeners).

 

I recommend you take at least one listen to this EP one time through, thoroughly. And then do it again. You will definitely want to add it to your SoundCloud playlist.

 

King Mook Music can be found at www.KingMook.com, and the EP can also be found on Spinrilla and SoundCloud.