Tag: Ku-V

Ku-V and Akronym present their collaborative project ‘Due Season’.

While I think there’s room for growth, I see a lot of potential here.

 

Tracks

I’m Strapped feat. J Tunez – My first impression is that the beat sounds generic and the overall sound feels like it’s been done before. Things start to look up when we get to the verses though. Although I think the lyrics could be crisper, Ku-V and Akronym both bring the heat with their flows, and J Tunez kills the feature verse. The hook is the weakest part of the song, and I find it to be forgettable and very cliché.

The rappers say that the Holy Spirit “got me rollin’ ‘round town” and that’s exactly what this track makes me want to do, preferably with the windows rolled down. In general, I ended up liking this song more as it went on.

Every Day – Track two of ‘Due Season’ focuses on the Christian’s everyday struggle against the flesh. “I feel like Anakin itchin’ to turn Vader. My spirit’s feelin’ weakened, His kingdom I ain’t seekin’ the way I should be,” raps Akronym.

The chorus showcases some nice interplay and layering between the two rappers which I imagine would be really dope live. The instrumental isn’t very interesting, which shifts the focus primarily on the lyrics. The wordplay borders on cheesy at times, but the delivery is good.

Wendy Peffercorn – Things switch up as “Wendy Peffercorn” brings a much more upbeat vibe. To be frank, the wording in the chorus feels uncomfortable, but that may just be me. However, the verses have some of the best delivery thus far and the instrumental sounds great, especially combined with the fact that it’s a unique feel for the project.

“It’s weird how you make me nervous years after them wedding rings. Butterflies all in my stomach, but with pterodactyl wings.” Regardless of any awkwardness I might feel in the hook, Ku-V and Akronym’s description of their relationships with their respective wives is refreshing and attention-holding.

Omelette (I’m Lit) – “I stay lit like a firecracker.”
While the emphasis is on “staying lit”, the duo gives the term a sort of redefinition, encouraging their listeners to place their confidence in Christ, not worldly possessions. “The Word says that they know you by your fruits, not your new pair of kicks and your thousand-dollar suits, but by your life and how you live it.”

Once again, the verses are my favorite part of the song. My biggest critique is that the singing and synth lead on the hook sound cheesy.

My Ones – “Call me David ‘cause we dancing with a tambourine – only difference, now we do it with a gangsta lean.”

Ku-V and Akronym go back and forth on “My Ones”, showing off their lyrical ability on a delightfully simplistic beat. The track has a short hook that doesn’t get in the way of the flow of the verses and is one of my favorites on the album. They introduce the track as being “like they used to do in the park”, and I can almost place myself there, imagining them taking turns freestyling.

No Murkery feat. Eloy Romero – “No Murkery” provides a more mellow sound for the project as Ku-V and Akronym relate their internal struggles and emphasize the importance of keeping things real. “It’s like my flesh is quick to throw Satan the alley-oop.” “We ain’t perfect, but that’s the reason I need Jesus bro.”

Eloy Romero absolutely nails the chorus, and the two emcees do likewise with their verses. The bridge borrows from “Build My Life” by Passion and it works seamlessly. The instrumental is smooth and matches the tone of the content perfectly.

Mobbin’ feat. J Tunez – “Mobbin’” brings things back to the project’s central sound. The hook is solid, but it sounds like they may have lacked the resources to make the autotune sound great (as opposed to just kind of good). “Was lost … now I’m found, and Your love still makes the world go ‘round.” The lyrical content is good, although it seems to lack a central theme.

Forgiven – Ku-V and Akronym wrap things up with another more subdued sounding track. “Lord I love you, Lord I need you, I know I ran away from You, Lord I’m comin’ back to you”, the chorus croons in what is hands-down my favorite non-feature singing on the album.

“I was walkin’ down the road of the prodigal, beatin’ myself up ‘cause nothing was adding up logical.” Once again, the duo confronts their past failures and insecurities, but the song has a hopeful tone, emphasizing that they have been forgiven. “Even though we fall short daily, think about the Cross and how He bled for us mainly.”

The pensive nature of the lyrics, the mellow sound to the beat, and the soft singing on the hook dovetail together seamlessly.

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Overall, I found that the beat selection could be better and word choice/lyrical agility could definitely be tightened up on any given song. I consistently found the verses to be more attention-holding than the hooks. But that’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy aspects of the project, and while there’s certainly a lot of room for growth, I think there’s a lot of potential here and I would be interested to hear future work from the two rappers!

My favorite tracks:
1 No Murkery
2 My Ones
3 Forgiven