"Catching wreck from the underground up is the essential hip-hop way. When you get fed-up with the industry web, go to an independent label and hit the street level. When both method and music are on point, and your shit takes off, then suddenly everybody's on the wood, you're getting commercial radio play, moving product and catchin' the last laugh. 'Case in point: King Just's "Warrior Drum." From the blasts of the trumpet hook to the stomping bass loop, the RNS track defies gravity as it bounces and motivates. The hyperactive beat is matched by equally uptempo lyrics to create a party track with widespread appeal. King Just's flow dips like a roller coaster with animation and attitude galore. The concept is basic bravado but there's nothing simple about "Look who's back / It's the Hellraiser / Raisin' Hell / And I've been rockin' rhymes / Since n!ggas been rockin' Gazelles / My slang can bang / So I guess I be the man / You couldn't hang with my style if you invented the Ku Klax Klan" ... Most people know nothing about King Just besides the fact that he's another product of hip-hop's latest boomtown, Staten Island. But don't sweat that, 'cause all you need to know is that "Warrior's Drum" has hip-hoppers from Houston to Harlem chanting Just's chorus like a gang of Sioux Indians: "Hey Ya, Hey Ya, Hey Ya, Ho!" - The Source, July 1994
If you'd prefer to save a copy and read it later, the full review is available below.
