When Afu-Ra was a teen, it was the lyrics of a certain Brooklyn rap king that turned the East New York native on to rhyming.
“Big Daddy Kane was one of the reasons I wanted to be an MC,” he says. “He was the person whose lyrics I was reciting when I was 15 years old.”
While never really acting on those lyrical impulses in his formative years, a written rhyme years later impressed the well-respected Jeru the Damaja so much that he allowed Afu to appear on “Mental Stamina,” a cut off his wildly popular underground debut record The Sun Rises in the East. Riding the sinister beat, Afu rapped, “Influential, scientifical power/ Devour at a crazy rate, I speed into your circuits and incorporatin’ data banks,” introducing himself to the hip-hop world.
Now with a reportedly strained relationship with his mentor Jeru, an impressive, yet slept-on debut, and support from the brains at D&D Studios, Afu has broken some of the chains that kept him from advancing beyond simply being Jeru’s sidekick. Creating a relatively diverse selection of tracks appropriate for an artist of his stature with Life Force Radio, Afu searches for a true identity hiding somewhere in the album’s concept. Set to the tone of what Afu would appreciate hearing if he ran his own radio station (remember this is in the Clear Channel-less universe that he lives in), Life Force Radio is far from unique in its offerings.
Still heavy on distinctive DJ Premier beats reminiscent of his material from the golden era of 1994, the album is at its core a rugged New York City hip-hop album. “Scatman” and “Stick Up,” which features Afu’s childhood hip-hop hero Big Daddy Kane, are both gritty compositions indigenous to his neighborhood and recording surroundings. Calling out his poser-rapper contemporaries while switching rhyme speeds with remarkable ease on “Scatman,” the Rastafarian proves to be introspective from the get go. “And I be buggin’ out/ Why is that?/ How some MCs can do all them shows/ And get all that dough/ And find time to be thuggin’ out/ No diplomatic immunity/ The penalty is perjury for the teachers of this surgery,” he rhymes over the piano-heavy track. Far from cutting-edge in sound, the track floats comfortably in the sea of New York sounds.
Finding that it tiptoes the commercial/underground rope that many hip-hop albums are on, Life Force Radio is indecisive in its direction. Peppered with elements of ’80s pop, cheesy keyboard samples and even R&B crooning at moments, Life Force Radio and Afu appear confused at moments.
On the lead single, “Open,” an ode to Afu’s wife and the misfortunes of his past infidelity, ’80s synth-pop queen Teena Marie makes an unexpected appearance on the hook. The slick bassline, occasional saxophone and wails from Marie’s voice will raise some eyebrows, as well as cause knee-jerk reactions from dedicated Afu fans.
“Readjustment” finds teary piano loops playing over a bassline frighteningly similar to that of Jay-Z’s “Ain’t No. . .,” all the while making for an unnamed R&B singer to sing about life’s troubles. While not superficial in its lyrical content, the song is out of character and sticks out like a sore thumb on the album.
As the album moves on, “Aural Fixation” finds the anti-old school flow of Afu cluttering the already weak track. Featuring the Human Orchestra (which appears to be an ashamed Rhazel using a pseudonym), the beatboxing noises and drum kicks play as Afu’s rhymes, making for the album’s weakest track.
Finishing strong with three tracks that are closer to his New York-centric sound, Life Force Radio is not without the somewhat requisite M.O.P. appearance. “Crossfire,” a hyper-aggressive track featuring the Brownsville duo themselves, finds all performers at their finest, screaming and addressing the Sept. 11 attacks in their own special manner. “Dangerous” also finds the RZA rhyming as the Tru Master track plays, and the closing track, “Boulevard,” is as Jazzmatazz as it gets with Guru assisting in production and lyrical content.
Struggling to move out of Jeru’s shadow and establish himself as a leader and not a follower, the teenage Kane fan provides a solid sophomore effort. Moving away from the sometimes-monotonous 2000 release Body of the Life Force to try and create a hip-hop hodgepodge, Afu proves that he is looking to expand as an artist. However, with few tracks that stray from his original sound, and weak production and direction on some of them, Life Force Radio sounds more like a personal mix tape more than a four-letter station.
