Reviews

KRS-One “I M A M C R U 1 2” Album Review

Read our extensive review of Hip Hop icon, KRS-One's latest album "I M A M C R U 1 2".

I M a M C R U 1 2

KRS-One

  • Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
  • Release Date: 2022-02-22
  • Explicitness: explicit
  • Country: USA
  • Track Count: 14
  • ℗ 2022 R.A.M.P Ent Agency

The Hip Hop scene is what it is today as a result of the artists who have changed the game with their music. Many of them have charged up the scene with their intriguing lyricism and created a niche for themselves as legends in the game.

Rapper KRS-One is an icon the Hip Hop scene is not ready to let go of. With over 3 decades in the game, he has inspired a long list of Hip Hop’s biggest names, including Eminem, 2-Pac, and more.

This new album titled “I M A M C R U 1 2” marks his 24th body of work. Yes, that’s something. It is a follow-up to his last project, “Between Da Protests”, released back in 2020. While he remains the lyricist we know him to be on the new project, he does a lot of the work himself. Only a few artists contribute to the album.

We must confess, it is impressive to see just how much he hasn’t lost touch through the years. But, it also proves that there is no retiring for the Hip Hop star soon.

Artwork

Krs-One &Quot;I M A M C R U 1 2&Quot; Album Review, Yours Truly, Reviews, March 28, 2024
Album Cover

If “less is more” were a person, it would undoubtedly be KRS-One except for his lyricism. However, Teacha has been known to keep it simple and still pass his message for the project across with his cover artwork. Furthermore, in a social media post about the album, he announced that the title “obviously speaks for itself,” giving fans a hint on what to expect.

The album cover features a shot of the Hip Hop veteran. He stares at the camera like he’s looking to exert his dominance. His music does all the dominating for it.

Features

Every big fan of KRS-One already knows not to expect a lot of collaborations when it comes to his projects. However, his last project, “Between Da Protests”, features contributions from Sun-One, who appeared on a few of the album’s tracks.

Not one to change so much about himself and style, Teacha sticks to his less collaborative style and delivers the majority of the album’s tracks by himself. Frequent collaborators, Sun-One and G Simone contribute to the songs “Think Bigger” and “Have To Wait”. Teacha handles the remaining 12 tracks of the entire 14. He also proves that his lyricism is enough to keep his fans listening.

Tracks

NO Title Time
1 The Beginning 3:02
2 Raw Hip Hop 2:34
3 Krazy 2:54
4 Can You Dance 3:21
5 Achieving the Levels 4:02
6 Knock Em Out 4:40
7 Club Rippa 3:27
8 Wet It Up 2:40
9 Innocent (feat. SUN-ONE) 4:26
10 I M a M C R U 1 2 3:48
11 Drop Another Break 3:43
12 Nothing To Say 2:54
13 Have To Wait (feat. SUN-ONE) 4:32
14 Think Bigger (feat. G Simone) 3:28

The new “I M A M C R U 1 2” album sees KRS-One maintain his style of delivering raw rhymes. He previously dropped a few tracks off the project before it was released. The previously released joints gained some praise following their release. They include “Krazy”, “Knock Em Out”, and “Have To Wait”. All 3 tracks were featured in the short film “Save The Studio”, edited and directed by Tyme Journey.

Production & Vocal Delivery

The beauty of the new “I M A M C R U 1 2” is how much it gave the nostalgic feel of KRS-One’s earliest albums. Its production celebrates the beginning of Hip Hop and how raw it was delivered over hard beats. A couple of producers a credited for their work on the album. They include Sun-One, KPryme, Pascal, and DJ Static. Of course, they all did not disappoint.

Summary

KRS-One’s 24th studio album proved just how passionate he still is about the things that matter and the topics that have framed his career. There is no doubt that he’s only just settling in, and there are no plans to retire anytime soon. He rides through every beat with top-notch lyricism and brings the 90s to 2022 in the most entertaining manner. So do check the album out.

Stream

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