Millennium fever in the flatlands of Oakland, CA, produced its own brand of analytical hip-hop. In 1999, claiming
Konceptual Dominance over the
Savage Intelligence that permeates society, King Koncepts and Kirby Dominant joined forces in an attempt to dilute mass insanity with sound reason. By musically dissecting the country's social predicament along the lines of race and economic disparity,
Savage Intelligence as an album could possibly double as an accredited dissertation. With notable contributions from 427 and Ka Auditron Ba,
Konceptual Dominance delivers a full spectrum of style that never gets bogged down by the trappings of East Bay gangsta rap or typical New York boom-bap. Exceptional moments include the energy of "Rock the Disco" and the yearning nature of "Memories (OG Mix)." And for anyone who has seen the video for "Self Titled," it becomes obvious that these intellectual soldiers also maintain a frantic sense of humor. ~ Robert Gabriel