Apex Zero – Reality Provoking Liberation

Label :  Design Chaos Score: 7/10

Those who say hip-hop is dead do not say it without any substance, for what is at the top has become a facile, false adaptation of what was once a noble art.

But the counter effect of that has seen what has been left behind – the underground conscious hip-hop wordsmith sound – become a bolshie and vociferous mutation of itself. And Apex Zero’s Reality Provoking Liberation is perhaps the most passionate version of this style released in a long time.

It isn’t hard to tell that becoming a commercial star is not Apex Zero’s mission. In the mould of the likes of Immortal Technique, KRS-One, Klashnekoff and Lowkey, Apex Zero is another revolutionary soldier using music to spread a message, inspire some minds and ignite some hearts.

Less an album, more a rallying cry, you can guarantee this is an album that won’t be making it into the pop charts. Is that an adequate reflection on how listenable the album really is? Probably, yes. The fact is, many people will not want to hear this type of thing; it is actuallythat real.

But for those that do, this will be a fiery and vivid interpretation of the underground sound that is some of the most powerful listening in music today.

Opening track Shackled by the Pound sets the tone of this 12 track album. It is a lyrical explanation of the plight of the world’s underclass today, openly attacking the powers that be and exposing the model of the system that has many living so differently from a few. What makes Reality Provoking Liberation all the more potent though, is the call for revolution in nearly every song.

 The beats are dark, haunting and precise, with the drums staying basic in most of the tracks, mimicking the beat of the drum we all march to in this hierarchical society. The lyrics are very descriptive, whether describing how his own thoughts took such a radical turn on the hypnotic Growth or describing the inadequacies of our everyday lives in Chaotic Revolt. Other standout tunes include the inspirational Power Source and also Absolute Zero, which is where Apex Zero perhaps best demonstrates his technical ability as a rapper.

Apex Zero could not have named his album more aptly, because Reality Provoking Liberation is the perfect description for it. More likely to provoke thoughtful head-nodding rather than violent head-banging, this is an album full of anthems for the street soldiers in the UK.