Wow. Another track sent to me that caught me completely off-guard by actually being good. This track is by an MC that simply goes by Knife. Yeah, with a name like that I assumed this was going to end up being some bottom-of-the-barrel nonsense. I was happy to be wrong. On the first listen I was immediately reminded of “Wicked” by Ice Cube due to “Irresponsible Rap Song” having the same strong bombastic production that you can’t help but nod your head to. Knife really commands this beat and sounds like a pro over it. The production was on point, the mixing was done well and the MC complemented it perfectly making it a pretty dope “let’s riot” style track.
Knife’s lyrics are on the braggadocios side and, while he’s not the most lyrical guy in the universe or the most original, he definitely does what he does very well. Content and rhyme wise, he reminds me of Ill Bill “What’s Wrong With Bill” era. If you’ve heard that album, you’ll know that’s definitely not a bad thing. I mostly get this feeling due to the rebel attitude in his lyrics that Ill Bill, and really all of the Non-Phixion guys, had back in those days.
The video is a cool accompaniment to the track. The random images critiquing the way we revere today’s pop culture figures while persecuting other leaders and ignoring important social issues goes well with the chaotic production of the track as well as his rapid-fire delivery.
After listening to this track, I was compelled to see what Knife’s other tracks sounded like. Going to his page, I found that this track was rather old being that it was uploaded in April of 2011. Curiosity led me to listen to some of his more recent tracks and I’m sad to say I didn’t enjoy them as much. It seems that he’s strayed away from the style on “IRS” and gone for a darker feel with the production and a much slower flow. While the songs were still good, they didn’t get me the way this track did. However, I’d still be interested in checking out his full mixtape when he’s done.
“You know I’m not gonna change. My life’s been fucked up that’s why I’m so strange. And in my old age I’ll probably be a bum on the side to lash out in a blind cold rage.”