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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Tabernacle MCz Moses & Aaron





I've always neglected reviewing music put out by the Gods. You can be the true and living God and still suck at Hip Hop. In fact, there are many who actually do. I decided to put that aside though to review the Moses and Aaron mixtape from the Tabernacle MCz.

First off let's start off by saying that they aren't new borns to the game. Personally I've been up on Born Allah's music since he was pushing stuff through StonesThrow Records. When I heard that he was making a return to the scene via the Tabernacle MCz via my alike Freedom and other Gods from the West Coast I was looking forward to it. With me being familiar with the work of Born Allah I don't want to neglect or overshadow the the other two emcees who make up Tabernacle MCz proper, Shaheid and Panama Redd, because as a collective they just bring it and keep bringing it. If you haven't gotten their first release, Aquarian Gospel, make sure you add that to your collection. Though I haven't given the Aquarian Gospel a proper review that will have to wait until another time. This time I am focused on their current mixtape release, Moses and Aaron.

Those who have any type of familiarity with the Bible know that Moses is the Knowledge and Aaron was the Wisdom. The reason that things got done is because they did it together. The way that all of the elements come together on the mixtape is just lovely.

One of the key things about this album is that it is straight hip hop. It isn't devoid of any of the nutrients. Unfortunately modern day rap has been fractured for a minute. On one side you have the purist who structurally do everything right yet aren't really saying anything. On the other side you have those who claim to just be rhyming for the streets who have left skills to the side. If you're a B-Boy you can get on the floor to this. If you are an aresol artist you can hit up that wall. If you're a DJ scratch this record in your set. This is pure hip hop without being contrived.

As emcees they betray no one. They have the ethics and aesthetics of the Eastcoast without betraying the ethics and aesthetics of the westcoast. They also have the funk. Let me say it again. They have the funk. With all of the overly processed music that's out there the essential chunky-ness of the funk has been lost. When that bassline drops in various cuts of theirs you already know that its going down! Finally they add one more element that alot of emcees should invest in...a sense of humor. I don't mean that throwing insults at another emcee because he crossed your path. I mean that humor that should be part of your everyday life that anyone from a gangsta to a revolutionary should be experiencing that makes life worth living.

They are consistent. What I mean is they have a theme and carry it out through all of their songs. They carry it out throughout all of their albums. Let me repeat. They have a theme not a gimmick. They use the theme of Church and Ministry with a determined idea behind it. People who use gimmicks just do something quirky oftentimes to cover the fact that they have no skills. The ease by which they use this theme to drop gems is ridiculous. This allows them not to beat you over the head with righteousness. This allows them to slip that medicine in your food without you even knowing it.

I fell right into the mixtape with the opening banger "It's the Tabernacle". The beat is like the P-Funk Mothership came back in time from the future. The way they ride that beat though is like straight Flash and the Furious Five. They own that beat and move on it with extreme confidence. Collection plate drop the beat and would be straight eastcoast if it wasn't for laid back charisma that just is like straight molasses on the track. MJ was Gangsta is a beautiful tribute to Michael Jackson. For the wealth of MJ samples in hip hop and those who were just influenced by him the fact that they had the forethought to actually do this tribute shows you that they are a cut above the rest. Raunchy is just slick. Its that content that has been perfected by many westcoast emcees and it shows you they are well familiar with their pedigree. Easter is made big. Its one of those cuts that you know can't even be done justice in a small arena. They expand the track and they all rise to the occasion so that they each become larger than life.

You need this mixtape in your life. You absolutely have no excuse. In fact cop this mixtape and then go cop that Aquarian Gospel. Repent to the B-Boy and convert to the Church of Hip Hop & Financial Prosperity.

Tabernacle MCz Moses & Aaron

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