I don't know too much about these folks or this group so don't ask me who they are, all i know is that they're from New Orleans, one of the guys on the backside cover looks just like C-Lock but they album mentions nothing about him so considering he would be a major selling point for them I assume it's not him since he's not mentioned. What i do know though is that this is an album well worth your attention. Let it be known that even though this most certainly is street/gangsta these guys are on some intellectual/political shit and they go out hard str8 from the start whit "Sinners prayer" who has a slow, very melodic beat whit a bluesy guitar. It's basically about them wanting to change their lives but they dunno how or how it became so messed up to begin whit. People who are against gangstarap and claim it promotes violence needs to hear this, real gangstarap ain't promoting SHIT!!! A very good start of the album that sets the tone for what is to come, if y'all are looking for easy chewable entertainment full whit sex, violence and machismo this ain't the album.
If i have to choose a favourite among the many great songs on here it would be song 3, "Hear where I'm comin from" which is a plea to the world to understand them and an explanation why so many ghetto youths are actin the way they do. I dunno if I'm just a too liberal middle class kid whit a "bleeding heart" but songs like this really, really moves me and I find it deeply disturbing that there are folks who has to live like this. This one is also pretty laid back and smooth whit a sung chorus "....hey do you hear me, somebody here where I'm coming from. Ain't no way i let you get near me I gotta keep from getting done. Always gotta watch my back, gotta stay strapped. Got me living by the gun, is it because I'm black, they got it like that ?......" Ain't got anything else to say other than that this song is pure genius.
Next up is "Can't stop a player", a song they could just as well have cut out of the album. It's a str8 pimp track whit played out samples like "...everybody can control a woman's body...." It's like they listened to the songs they had so far and got a lil bit embarrassed and scared that folks in the hood would think they're too soft and just went on whit sum str8 negative shit bout bitches,hoes bla, bla bla.... It's not that it's a bad song but you've just come to expect more out of "Unknown Vandals" whit all the deep, thoughtful songs prior to this one.
Luckily there is not too many songs like that, things get back on track a few cuts later whit the R&B-ish "It haven't been easy" featuring Ruth Robinson, a really slow, melodic track whit plenty of piano, flute and singing. The song is about how tough it has been to get anywhere in the music business and how much drama and sacrifice it has takes them to even get as far as they did (which isn't that far, to my knowledge they never made it big, even though they deserved to). Another favourite is "End of the world" that is on some doom/armageddon tip, ain't gonna go for a essay on this song but it's good and they are really spittin some deep stuff on here.
I could go on and on about how neat this album is, about their lyrics and stuff but I'm goin to try and sum things up. This is a very good album, it has that gangsta feel to it but at the same time these cats are very deep, emotional and political. They may be street cats but at the same time these guys are very smart, has thought about things and actually has something to say. They do this over some smooth, very tite R&B-ish kinda beats, things are very laid back and chill. Just go and get this album, it has dropped considerably in price the last few years so y'all can actually buy it and not be broke for the rest of the month......
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