Immortal Technique

Immortal Technique, the artist behind one of the most epic blends of storytelling and hip-hop lyricism ever in a song ("Dance With the Devil") comes correct on his latest release, 3RD World, with his signature blend of stripped-down beats, sociopolitical fire-branded lyrics, and poignant film/T.V. excerpts.

"Locked and loaded / muthafucka, you should know it" is how he finishes "Death March," the first track, and for the next fifteen, he spits hollow-point rhymes that enter your skull innocuously but leave a gaping exit wound on their way through your grey matter. The man just sounds straight pissed.

In the same verse, he can indict capitalism (fuck your private jet / we shootin, that shit down), invoke the Bible, (I play the role of Abraham / idols get ripped down), and threaten the establishment with his own personal global warming (melt the ice caps / and make all of this shit brown). And that’s just the second track.

The vernacular may seem standard-fare, but don't be fooled because the ambitious subject-matter is anything but. More down and dirty than Mos Def, more scathing than Black Thought. Where else can you find such density?

In "Harlem Renaissance," he describes gentrification as, "trying to put the Virgin Mary through an early menopause," claiming that the hood is being "ethnically cleansed, economically." "Lick Shots" takes a few at Scooter Libby, Glenn Beck, and Ann Coulter, to name a few.

In "The 3rd World," he says "I'm from where the gold and diamonds are ripped from the earth." Or "where they lost the the true meaning of the Koran / because heroin is not compatible with Islam," talking about poppy fields in Afghanistan. Or he's "from the only place where democracy is acceptable / is if America's candidate is electable."

The worldview is that of an enraged Puerto Rican, who is able to step in and out of character—much like Eminem—sometimes portraying the demons he is skewering. It can come off as a confused message to the casual listener, but to those that put in the time in The 3RD World, you'll be rewarded with a record that's everything a good hip-hop album should be: an angry, socially-conscious, necking-snapping, tour-de-force.

—Chris Nelson
07.30.08

Fans of the Peruvian-born rapper have waited five long years for the third installment in Immortal Technique's iconic Revolutionary series, and by the sound of mixtape-cum-LP The 3rd World, the wait may yet go on. Though marketed as the New York MC's third solo full-length, The 3rd World is more or less a straight collaboration with longtime DJ Green Lantern, who handles most of the production and mixing on the album. Lyrically and vocally, it's more fiery and intense than his previous work -- no mean feat as his fans will attest -- directing ire at his favorite enemies: politicians, capitalism, and big business. Beginning with the post-apocalyptic opener "Death March," Technique draws parallels between the developing world and the poverty-ridden underclass in America, pointing out the irony in U.S. foreign policy effectively forcing families like his to migrate to America: "Invasion, a ramp of monetary inflation/That brought us all to the footsteps of this nation." He cleverly paraphrases Bill Clinton on the title track, noting, "they might even have a black president/But he's useless/Because he doesn't control the economy, stupid!" Yet, at 69 minutes in length, Technique's shtick wears increasingly thin as the album progresses and the frenetic pace with which he delivers his rhymes becomes tiresome, negating much of the emotional weight behind his deeply felt rhymes. By no means a bad record, fans will expect a more well-rounded affair when the third chapter in the Revolutionary story finally drops. ~ Dave Donnelly, All Music Guide