Afu-Ra's sophomore effort, the aptly titled
Life Force Radio, is an album that manages to cover every form of hip-hop in a collection of 17 impressive tracks. This Rastafarian doesn't bother to busy himself with the overdone ghetto glamour that crews such as No Limit and Cash Money dispense, and instead steers toward a more intelligent form of rap. "Stick Up" does have themes common to the gangsta style, yet
Afu-Ra's flows are far from generic, which helps add weight to the cut and lets this song aspire to a whole different plane than the over-produced faceless clones plaguing the rap scene. Throughout the album,
Afu-Ra's talent prevails as a dominating new force in a scene that foolishly overlooked his debut, and this hip-hop prodigy could be given the same respect as
Nas,
the Roots, and
Jurassic 5. Undeniable skill and prowess invade every crevice on
Life Force Radio, whether on the spunky love tune "Open" or the straight-up club smash "Hip Hop," and not once does
Afu-Ra disappoint. The album also features heavyweight performances from such notable MCs as
RZA from
the Wu-Tang Clan,
M.O.P., and
Guru, as well as additional production by
Easy Mo Bee and
True Master. Over all of this,
DJ Premier's spectacular production gives the album a life of its own. Enjoyable, moving, and remarkably clever,
Life Force Radio should finally bring recognition to one of hip-hop's freshest and most entertaining new faces. ~ Jason D. Taylor