Genre : Hip Hop
Label : Independent
Origin : United States
Official site : > - here - <
This review starts out with a quotation snippet taken from the biography section of the official site.
"The Supreme General describes his work as “aggressively intelligent hood music.” What distinguishes him from other contemporary rap artists is his intensity, virility and uncompromising bravado. “I’m a never give yourself an excuse to lose kind of guy,” he proclaims, “I represent the anti-sensitive.” His ultimate goal is for The Supreme General to be synonymous with the rap genre, much like Mohammed Ali is synonymous with boxing. Closer to home, he hopes to shatter stereotypes and to serve as living proof that “black men from the ‘hood are strong and intelligent.”
Read on to know more about the music.
The Supremacy EP consists of six meticulously constructed tracks that sound to reveal the classic/golden traditions of urban-, egoboost hip hop music. The front cover of the EP is indicative of what to expect, and the Supreme General doubtless delivers tight testosterone tirades arranged on superbly sculpted out grooves, through which your host assures the audience of his constant efforts to present himself both as a positive figure the urban community could safely rely on, and also as a figure the rivals can have their most malignant nightmares of, as the Supreme General presents himself as an influential character of highly stable fiscal position, while exercising a constant accumulation of the most valuable and sought after luxury items, enjoyed amidst the 24/7 company of a fluent supply of novelty female flesh. In other words, the Supreme General is in the game of delivering soulfully created, traditional urban hip hop. Traditional? You bet! After all, in the world of urban hip hop performers, there are only Kings and SOME Gods, and there are no servants or puny mortals, didn't you know that?? Unless, of course, you are the Listener. But, once the mic is in your hands, you are expected to declare as King, - as a minimum - because it is the position of the King the audience secretly (?) wants to relate itself with. The golden rule is as old as rapping itself: boost the consensus ego in a witty and thoughtful fashion while obliterating the legendarium of your rival, or get the fuck off that stage.
As such, what I hear on the EP, comes to me as a mature - musically speaking - variant on traditional "egoboost" urban hip-hop, which also is the most pronounced and most widely used archetypical form of rap-craft, as, if you REALLY think about it, the underlying dynamics and rhetorics of rap are the "mere" renditions of subconsciously held and exercised copying mechanisms that conceal a human soul which isn't allowed to acknowledge human weaknesses or human vulnerabilities when there simply no love seems to be around, yet competition and fear are the most abundant commodities. "I can not afford to show any weakness and let myself be taken down by them! I will fuck them ALL up if I have to! To every last ONE of them!!" And this is the very thought all "Kings" are having. "I need to END them up before they end ME!" - the most fundamental dynamics in egoboost urban hip hop, nevertheless this also is a dynamic that evolves at this very moment. The most fantastic invention of hip hop is that you don't have to physically hurt someone, it is sufficient to burst his ego.
"My mouth is a gun I can shoot. No pun intended, no punishment, if I offended you, you needed it."
- Absolute Zero, Stone Sour
For the up and coming urban hip hop artist, it is next to ultra-hard to claim a legit voice the Masses genuinely relate to, while entirely dismissing the almost obligatory pseudo-need to present a huge-ass ego AND a mobilizable army of Godzilla Giganiggas to back the "legitimacy" of the ego up. The message is the following: "if you don't bow to me, I will invent Hell and unleash it on you!"
Even though only a pathetic King would crave the submission of anyone. A King has power only when he does not give a shit for it.
But this isn't the game that is to be played. The game to be played is to present a cosmological position which is beyond the grasp of the competition.
"You know my shit shines!"
- Ice Cube
Topple THAT one!
When delivering to a market on which the only option is to strike first, the ultimate logical conclusion is to declare that victory already is mine, but don't be sad, I'm a King of Kindness: I can pay you good fucking money to be a willing-, and highly satisfied part AND praiser of my Empire, my conduct, my greatness, my music, and my personality. Notice how I run the show all the while, and I do NOT antagonize or humiliate you, no! I PAY you, I OWN you, I even PRAISE you and claim you are talented, and you are not only my bitch, but you are happy about this! Alternatively, this school of thought instigates: I can fuck you up, but why not take the money I'm giving you instead? Have this continuous load of fucking money, love me, and kindly shut the fuck up! I'm invincible anyway, remember?
These considerations aside, the album, as I stated, musically is ripe and intriguing in my opinion, filled with particularly strong and straightforward grooves, while the rapping is fluent, and the lyrics are immersed in eloquent intimidation - but this is not a fault at all, as we have seen - this almost is a relative must of urban hip hop, and the Supreme General definitely manages to enrich the style of intimidation with decent, fresh, thoughtful patterns. With his various peak notions, - for example: "You are nothing without me", or "You ain't talk about shit", he seems to reflect on the very same dynamics that I just talked to you about.
The mid-tempo, laid back entry called "Supreme Dreamin'" demands separate mentioning. An A+ grade melodic hook - superb groove and full musculature harmonies, toppled by sexy female singing - compliment a peaceful Supreme General, who eventually is not afraid to show off his tender side. Tenderness, and not violence is the true hallmark of a true King. A safe recommendation for all fans of hip hop.
Check out The Supreme General here.
GyZ at Bandcamp.
If you want, check out my music
and / or
Buy me beer.
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