- Ka is a New York rapper to his core. Traces of the city's rich history run throughout his work, informing every part of the artistic process. This album sees him working with producer Animoss, as Hermit And The Recluse, for a record themed around tales of Greek mythology.
If this sounds corny, then you haven't heard a Ka album before. His concepts aren't so much gimmicks as a source of allegoric inspiration for vivid storytelling. There's also the fact that Ka is endlessly quotable. Each couplet is imbued with layers upon layers of considered meaning, making it a joy to decipher every facet of his wordplay.
Previous release, Honor Killed The Samurai, focused on the philosophy of ancient Japanese warriors, drawing parallels between Ka's tumultuous Brooklyn upbringing and the formidable resilience Samurai crafted in the face of enduring hardships. In a similar vein, Orpheus vs. The Sirens paints Ka as a sort of warrior poet, penning modern day fables rooted both in real life experience and the teachings of history.
These odes are complimented by Animoss' stripped back but still often cinematic production. His beats are built instead around dusty and weathered sample loops with skeletal percussion that recalls New York's boom-bap origins as a faint memory. Coupled with Ka's knack for heartfelt storytelling, the songs take on an air of aged wisdom, cautionary tales bolstered by the privilege of hindsight.
Forty-six years of age and a firefighter by day, Ka is a true student of the East coast hip-hop game. Gritty hood narratives recall Ghostface Killah, his effortlessly complex flow MF DOOM, atop production that sounds like eavesdropping on a DJ Premier beat. Ka has certainly done his training, and the consistent quality displayed in these verses shows it.
Ka’s matured approach to writing also informs the way in which he tells stories, details willfully obscured and devoid of glorification. Typical themes of drug dealing and organized crime are presented sans judgment, allowing the listener to draw their own conclusions on what's being recounted.
Take lead single Sirens, for example, where Ka's constant references to mythic beasts mask a deeper lesson on the perils of gang violence. On surface level this devotion to theme might seem self-serving, but it only takes a few listens to realise just how carefully considered these lyrical connections are. Throughout the album, Ka moulds ancient anecdotes into pointed metaphors for modern street life.
So it should be obvious by now that I'm a big fan of this record, but the one thing holding me back from loving it is Ka's literal and figurative monotone, maintained across every single track. There’s little in the way of variation to be found, and his consistently burdened delivery can start to grate on extended listens.
Saying that, there's still so much to love about this release. Ka's ability to tell stories with both immediate and suggested meaning never come across as preachy and deserves to be celebrated. I love that hip-hop's current climate allows for artists like him to thrive, and any fan of the modern underground would be doing themselves a disservice by missing this album.
- Boddhi Farmer.