Artist: Little EgyptTitle: The Crown Heights AffairRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: N. Context
Straight Out The Sands of the underground, Little Egypt re-emerges to bring you The Crown Heights Affair (East Park). Comprised of Visual Poetics, Forge, Taajwar, Bravestar and Khordz, Little Egypt (L.E.), has been making waves in the underground since their breakthrough single “Sunrise”. L.E., in their own words, “signifies a return to traditional storytelling and artistic expression” and that’s what they deliver with their new EP.
What makes The Crown Heights Affair unique is that it takes you on a Hip-Hop flavored chronological journey from DC to BK following L.E. as they execute their plans to vic Uncle Sam of classified documents in the sinister sounding “Casablanca” and then release them to the UN in “Conspiracy Theory”. Each song is a chapter and within each chapter each emcee tells the story from their individual perspectives. Listening to key laden “The Getaway” you see the story from multiple “camera angles” as they are chased by police. The same with “Casablanca” as they describe how they infiltrate and get away with the stolen goods. “Conspiracy Theory” is their best track with up to date lyrics and in and out flows that proves that their devotion to story telling is no gimmick.
While they get an A for original concept they fall short in their presentation. The interludes tying the songs together could be better presented and thought out. Also, there is some material that sounds dated. But all in all the concept, rhymes and production (Chubb Rock, yes that Chubb Rock, lends a production hand on “The Far East” and “Be About It”) do make The Crown Heights Affair a decent listen sure to you looking forward to their future projects.
