Hip-hop culture is a global industry, and there are hundreds of thousands of tracks uploaded to streaming services daily. Even with the modern easy process of recording and uploading music, many skilled artists will still be overlooked. The rappers who will stand out are those that are the most original, consistent, and can effortlessly touch the hearts of the listeners. Most artists will never be a part of the ever changing mainstream rap culture, but that's okay because the underground rap scene is evergreen. Dr Lekta sticks out like a sore thumb in the underground hip-hop world, and he's putting on for the United Kingdom. He's not just your average rapper. On this project Dr. Lekta is rightfully demanding his respect, or his flowers. Take a listen to any of his projects and you'll get top tier production, creativity, and complex lyricism. I'm excited to review Dr. Lekta's latest project "FLOWERS FOR THE ILLEST".
"Read about me I will show you what the hype is for/ rhymes galore when I leave a rapper's body there right by the shore"
Dr. Lekta -"The Real"(feat. Kool G. Rap)
Dr Lekta " FLOWERS FOR THE ILLEST " | Rap Nerd Review
Flowers are more than just a kind gesture, as they can help purify stale air making it easier to breath. The cleverly titled introduction to the album is called "Staleair FM". The radio host requests a doctor and in comes UK flame spitter Dr Lekta. The very next track is a lyrical sparring match between Dr Lekta and rap icon Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan called "Feasting". Lekta goes so crazy in his verse, that he doesn't even allow Ghostface Killah to outshine him! This is impressive because anyone who knows anything about rap culture knows that Wu-Tang Clan is the creme de la creme of lyricism. Another stand out track on the album is "The Real" featuring 80's rap icon Kool G Rap. The dark boombap production on that track is crafted by the notable Anno Domonini Nation. Track 6, "Here Comes The BoomBap" features another legendary Wu-Tang member Inspectah Deck, along with Prefects, Mudmoon & Mademelo. This high energy posse cut is surely one that lyrical snobs will appreciate. The competitive nature of multiple emcees on one track will always be a win for the listeners. "No 62" has a hypnotic dreamy vibe for the first half, and a crazy beat switch about midway through with a light electric guitar and punchlines galore. The album also has a feature from a THIRD wu-tang member, the legendary Cappadonna. At this point i'm very impressed with the iconic features the project has, and it's truly a testament to the respect and skillset of Dr Lekta has. "Sega" is easily one of my favorite tracks because of its many references to classic Sega video games and characters. The beat and the rhyme schemes are unique and creative, making it stand out on the album. The final track "The Score" was cool, but personally I do think the album could have ended a bit stronger.
" Where's my f***in' flowers where's my credit/ all I see is people in the scene that are not invested"
Dr. Lekta - "In The Back"
Overall the album was very good. Dr Lekta once again has blessed the listeners with a dope new audio adventure. My only real critique is that he sounds better to me when he's not rapping fast, like he does on track 4. The lyrics are good, so they should be heard clearly. Trying to listen through fast rapping and a UK accent can be a task for other listeners. Nonetheless "FLOWERS FOR THE ILLEST" is a super solid body of work, and I look forward to all future releases from Dr Lekta! If you haven't already, do yourself a favor and go take a listen to his music! Much respect.
released February 2, 2024
Artwork by Nicko GODLY
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Rap Nerd Rating (4 out of 5)
Review written by Derek "Rap Nerd" Moore
Rap Nerd LLC 2024