SuperKing Armor sent us over a few tracks from his upcoming album, Fatal Intelligence, the latest of which, “Eye of the Pupil”, helps sets an intriguing mood for his upcoming project, described as something of the musical personification of SuperKing Armor’s fight against his internal demons. Fatal Intelligence’s “Eye of the Pupil” plays on that ongoing military strategy theme SKA detailed in the promo video for the album, over a synth and organ heavy mid-tempo foundation over a dirty equalized-out bass line sample.
If enlisted as an introduction to SuperKing Armor’s style, thoughts and album theme, “Eye of the Pupil” fares well. Previously, we’ve been sitting on “Mike Tyson Music” and “Yadda, Yadda, Yadda,” the former, an effort at cinematic-sounding hardcore, a boom-bap piano/string effort leading the way as SuperKing lyrically weaves violent-but-not-terribly-threatening braggadocio along with not-so-subtle digs at the mainstream music industry, peppering in some obligatory slaps at unnamed wack rappers in general. SuperKing Armor tries hard to sell “Yadda, Yadda, Yadda,” but the track, lyrics and delivery all fall a bit flat, particularly in relation to the other two joints, which are just better joints overall.
SuperKing Armor has a good voice, generally good enunciation and a few things to say. To be fair, while we haven’t yet heard anything completely mindblowing yet, we note his efforts to stay on message with enough creative range that we think it is entirely possible SuperKing Armor could pull a really hot one out of his arsenal. It will be interesting to see where this underground Queens native takes his schizophrenic-conflict themed Fatal Intelligence.
Check out SuperKing Armor participating in the IllSpokinn/TruStatement Tribute to OutKast, Thursday, January 20 at Sullivan Hall, NYC
SuperKing Armor – Eye of the Pupil
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SuperKing Armor – Mike Tyson Music
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SuperKing Armor – Yadda, Yadda, Yadda
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