No one is like Ka (Except for Ka-fka): "A Martyr's Reward" review
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
- Finally reviewing Ka and loving it once I started to understand. Many calls for comments, and I mean them all.
@brownsvilleka
Skye's Homework/Stamp (Example Song) - I Notice • Ka - I Notice
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My name on Reddit is "losermobile" for a weird reason.
“We was living in the living room” that line stuck with me
Me too
Rest In Peace. Love Grief Pedigree and Night's Gambit. I need to sit down and dig through his incredible output. He was truly a master of his craft and a Renaissance man in the truest sense of the word. Thank you for this thoughtful review.
Oh Please do!! I enjoy those albums. “Descendants of Cain”, Dr. Yen Lo, Languish Arts, 1200 B.C., Woeful Studies ect ect
Funny you mention KA as a hermit of sorts who creates music on his own accord. His album Hermit and the Recluse is one of his best albums where he takes listeners on a journey through his own struggles as one of the greatest poets of all time and paints a picture of his upbringing by using the story of Orpheus and Greek mythology to paint a picture. KA is just on another level. It’s easy to tell he spends a lot of time alone reflecting on his journey and inner thoughts but not many people can put those on paper the way he does.
I think hermit and the recluse was the name of the proyect the album is named Orpheus vs the sirens or something like that.
Its a fantastic album
@@tomas60952 He and Animoss together are Hermit and the Recluse. Orpheus vs the Sirens is the name of the album
One sermon one produce
@@sportsdude2003 from bummy to a hundred money sewn in pocket…
FINALLY someone doing a close-reading of Ka. Can’t think of an artist more deserving of this type of attention to text. Pleeeease do the rest of his discog. Some people are underwhelmed by this, and by Ka’s standards, that means this album was *just* great. Everything else is 100% undisputed classic material.
Also, funny you say he sounds like a Scared Straight inmate-the opening quote of the album is a Scared Straight sample. Pretty fitting.
Saw someone liken billy woods to David Foster Wallace and Ka to Aristotle. That might be a good framework for you to discuss both of their music respectively. (REVIEW BILLY WOODS TOO)
If you want a roadmap for the rest of his catalog:
Days with Dr. Yen Lo (2015) - Collab with the great producer Preservation, album inspired by the 1965 film adaptation of The Manchurian Candidate.
Honor Killed the Samurai (2016)- Inspired by the ethical code of the samurai, fully self produced, no features, completely amazing.
Orpheus vs. the Sirens (2018)- Inspired by the mythological ethos of Orpheus, collab with Animoss. Many call it his best (me too).
Descendants of Cain (2020)- Inspired by the story of Cain and Abel. Great display of Ka’s variety (take with a grain of salt). Features the BEST love song in all of hip hop.
yep
You missed Grief Pedigree (2012) and The Night's Gambit (2013).
@@vuyisilemonk2756 Grief is my favorite album of all time. I purposely omitted those because his work 2015- is of a different type, and I think Skye would be more interested in those.
But yeah those two albums are masterpieces, of course
@@Marcus-uk5ng I kind of got confused by the way you put everything in chronological order and thought you might have forgotten to list those, but if you put that way it makes perfect sense. Anyway, loved your comment here, it's always cool reading comments of true Ka fans who have been with the brother since he first came out.
YEP that love song is absolutely stunning.
Ka is (in my opinion) a top 3 writer in hip hop, ever. No bars are ever wasted in Ka's raps
Top 1 for me. Who's your other 2 out of interest?
ka has one of the best discographys in hip hop
@@ninjasrose1653 Lupe Fiasco is number one for me, I think Ka is number 2, and the three spot can go to either DOOM, Andre 3k or Mos Def depending on the day
@@alden4091 very respectable list sir.
@@manutrovao9530 100% agreed!
One of my favourite Ka lines are from his verse from the Navy Blue song, In Good Hands:
"It's said the common thread with our enemies
Is we was all men in need with no amenities
Couldn't sit in peace, we each hit the streets for remedies
Through the hatred accumulate a hundred arms we was centipedes
"
and
"Doomed in the womb, surprised I ain't see a hanger
Start questioning affection when all you see is anger"
He's a brilliant poet, although I do agree he's very dense. Ka makes music you have to be in the right mood for, it's like 90% lyrics 10% beats focused I feel, compared to most other music which is 50/50.
Speaking of Navy Blue, have you ever heard his stuff/reviewed it? Song of Sage! is my favourite of his, but he has a handful of great albums worth checking out.
And then Navy Blue references it in a later song when he say “I’m in good hands I know KA got me.” I was like whoa!
Yesss let’s go Ka receives no recognition and he is one of the most unique MC’s to ever do it thank you so much 😊
KA did an excellent redbull music academy lecture a while ago…it’s on youtube thoroughly recommended
oh my god, he's finally doing it! thank you very much for this review. i think you'll absolutely love his collab album 'orpheus vs the sirens' with producer animoss under the name 'hermit and the recluse'.
2 new Ka albums have dropped recently, as of last Friday actually.
Roc Marciano’s “Reloaded” is definitely worth listening to, (many agree it’s his best work) and he’s got several songs with Ka, 2 of which are on that album.
With all of Ka's brilliant lyrics, great wordplay and poignant social commentary, my all time favorite line of his is a short, straight-forward description of his own style. "The style Ka utter is high-brow gutter".
Brilliant artist and a master at writing clean lines in that he never uses more words than needed, which is extremely difficult in a genre as wordy as Hip Hop.
0.01¢ deposited to the provider of this thought..
Ayoooo thanks! Don't forget to tap into Roc Marciano too ;)
Hi Professor - thanks for citing my 2015 interview with Ka in here (the "two lives" bit). As a native speaker of German & a lifelong sufferer under the yoke of German bureaucracy & insurance jargon I dig the Kafka comparison! However, I wanna say Kafka did not grow up in a crack house with 13 people and lived a young life of violence & crime that he then reflected on through the prism of earned middle-class'ness. Ka now being in a situation that allows him to do so is an incredible achievement in itself (the raspy voice being a direct result of said middle class existence running into burning houses), that comes with its own challenges (survivors guilt etc). This, I think, leads to the notion of exhaustion that you mention & which makes his reflections on his past so otherworldly & unique. Agreed with almost everything else in here tho :) Greetings from Germany.
I describe a lot of Ka’s lines and tone in his songs as sounding like a prayer or a ritualistic reading of scrolls. It’s so heavy. He’s one of my favorite artists and I’m happy you reviewed him. Thank you
Been waiting for this one Prof! Make sure to check out Descendants of Cain!
Same!!
Thank you for reviewing KA
Glad you did a Ka album, been listening to this guy for years. One of the best in the game
i believe that if ka’s music was to be released in the 90s, it would have been the final and definitive argument for hip hop being an art form (which obviously is a grumpy old “rap is crap” discourse, but it used to be significant).
I doubt he'd be popular enough in any era to change the perception of those who don't like rap unfortunately
@@schmuck.on.wheels yes most likely, it’s more of a hypothetical scenario.
@@schmuck.on.wheels ignore popularity. Anybody who still has a negative perception of hip hop as an artform after hearing Ka is just ignorant or doesn’t want to listen.
@@BE-bk1tb I agree with you but the "rap is crap" people ARE ignorant and don't want to listen
Ka also released it on spotify. His best project is easily Honour Killed the Samurai his back catalogue is extremely impressive.
Idk Orpheus Vs The Sirens might be the best piece of work he has
@@christopherjohnson577 definitely Orpheus vs the Sirens
@@christopherjohnson577 That, HKTS and Nights Gambit are all equally great
About the pumpernickel line. In order to get bread/money he had to sell nickel bags of drugs=5 dollar bags and had to shoot/pump pistols as in a nickel plated gun
"get one turn in this tournament/ of course nothing soft on this firmament/ if this art ain't churning from your heart, you shouldn't murmur it", subbed by the way excellent review.
Excellent review, thank you for bringing some shine to Ka's mastercraft. One correction, the line at 30 mins "to get bread, we had to pump a nickel" isn't about poverty in childhood, it was about (allegedly) needing to get money by way of stickups with a nickel-plated
Thanks for checking him
Happy you finally got around to checking out Ka!
Hopefully you'll get the chance to check out Jpegmafias veteran soon.
"Truly there is beauty in this ugly
Im scared to put seeds in a uterus that love me
Growing, knowing my roots indeed rotten
Producing bad fruits all my family trees dropping"
My favorite KA lines, from Finer Things off of Honor Killed The Samurai. Absolutely haunting. But my favorite song is probably Mourn at Night because it has so many interpretations and so much symbolism, it is layered as all hell and a textbook example of less is more, readinf between the lines etc
I like the description that person gave about his last album Descendants of Cain being more conceptual and this one being more direct. I think sonically I enjoyed Descendants a lot more. The way he uses the story of Cain and Abel in the Bible to describe Brownsville and his upbringing is just so raw and smart. But I get it. I started listening to Griselda in 2018 and haven't gone back for very many projects. There is just so much good new music out all the time. Cheers! Keep it up!
Yesss finally I was patiently waiting for this one!! KA’s one of the best MC’s in the last decade one of the greatest of all time !!!
Love the analysis, and have been loving previous videos. I believe that Ka is more of an influence on the game than you give him credit for, however. Paraphrasing here, but Roc Marci has mentioned on multiple occasions that he wouldn't be where he is - or his style for that matter - without his brother Ka. And WSG in turn credits Roc Marci in a similar way. This certainly goes for the drumless productions you discussed. You really ought to listen to the Dr Yen Lo album, even though you don't like going back. An analysis of that project would also be super interesting. I happened to hear about it first from Anderson .Paak, on MNDSGN's podcast. Point being, I guess, is that this new wave is more intertwined in hiphop than it often seems. Excited to see more stuff from you!
I had no clue Paak listens to Ka, that's fucking awesome
yep
Ka is a 1 of 1. Unmatched artistry.
Ka is the best example of turning the scar tissue of his experience into beautifully evolved poetry. The writing is so skillful, no wasteful filler lyrics . A intensely private man who only bares his soul .
I love Ka so I'm glad you took the time to listen. However my favorite Ka albums are Honor killed the Samurai & Dr Yen lo
my 2 favs as well
Shoutout skye you a real one for this
Greatest lyricist alive!
I love that you reviewed this album!!
Thank you professor for your content and commentary, your voice helps to bridge gaps between races classes and generations.
Thank you Professer!
this album & the one before are records he's done the most production on.. he doesnt always work alone, often works with roc marci, navy blue, dj preservation, also wouldnt be surprised if we see an earl collab, they're friends.
Thanks for doing this!
FINALLY!
Thank you Prof!!! Been waiting
thanks for finally reviewing this ! bummed to hear that you wont be going back to his work prior as im sure you & us viewers would feel even more enriched with your insight on them. it would have been great too to hear some intertextual analyses in larger contexts of an artists discography since it helps when you do get deeper into the character of the artist themselves. great review nonetheless !
I don't think Ka ever made a bad album just different themes in each one this one scraps all the mythology and metaphors of previous ones and yes that makes it more direct and personal. You gotta spend time with them I don't have an opinion till I listened for a few months
Been waiting for this one for a while, thanks!! You should also check out Orpheus vs. The Sirens!
You HAVE to listen to Grief Pedigree.! Don't review it if you don't want to but you have to give it a listen. Ka's best album so far in my opinion
My favorite album of all time
thank you sir. ka is a treasure. so glad you gave him a listen.
I love KA, it’s a shame more people don’t listen to this brand of rap music. Thanks for this.
Thanks for putting me on to Kafka
Ka to me is the low frequency buzz that slowly resonates through time, which builds on itself until it creates a wall of sound that is uniquely his.
Would love for you to reviewHermit and the Recluse - Orpheus vs The Sirens (w/ Animoss) which is my personal fav of Ka
Peace professor skye!
Even tho Ghostface was using some drumless beats Roc Marciano popularised it for what it is now, Also Ka was a rapper in his early years but would remerge as an artist in 2008 to where he is now by featuring on Gza's Album ProTools on the track Firehouse which was produced by non other Roc Marciano. From there they would bond a strong relationship and Roc Marciano would be the most featured artist on any of Ka's album to date.
Together they formed as the duo Metal Clergy which is one of the most anticipated album yet to be released.
I will NEVER EVER forget that New York Times Article. I felt so much anger, I didn't even know Ka was a firefighter. The way they painted him was so elementary and sensational. It was unnecessary. There is so many other artists you could attack as "anti-cop" and you decide to spin a tale of a firefighter? That writer will never produce the type of art that Ka does because their life is set to an agenda . This review is excellent, Please just keep sharing your thoughts. Your enthusiasm for music is shining so brightly through your videos. luv it
Plus fire fighting and being a cop are 2 different things.
Pump a nickel = Sell nickel bags
This also works as a loose reference to shooting a gun
Thank you for this video ❤️
Thank you professor for this wonderful review to one of if not the most elite lyricist in Rap history. By the end of the album, he declarers "No more suffering is the reward of a martyr", encapsulating the whole theme of the album. As everyone notes, it would be great for you to tackle on Descendants of Cain and Hermit and Orpheus vs. the Sirens. Best!
Awesome, thanks!
You're really missing out if you never get a chance to listen to Grief Pedigre, by Ka. Back to back songs that make your face scrunch up.
Keep doing what you’re doing. I respect your takes. You don’t have to understand everything but art is subjective. You get it. KA is dope
Another great review! I've never really written about music, but it's nice to have a homework prompt. Please excuse my probably inane ramblings, but I wanted to join in, so Homework:
Not my first listen to Ka but I haven't heard this album for a little while.
I'm immediately struck by the sheer density of his content, which i really need to sit down and read along in order to fully appreciate (and I'm certain I'm still missing A LOT). I sometimes find his music a little boring, but this is because I'm listening to it in the wrong environment and should be sat down and focusing 1,000 times more.
That said, his use of drumless beats means if you're not going to ingest the content, it probably isn't for you and is one of my favourite examples of the power of the drumless movement. His relation to Roc Marci shining through there.
"I noticed the onus was on me" I'd say Ka has a clear understanding of the weight and power of his words and only he, Billy Woods and one or two other rapers make me (a white British guy) feel like such a tourist in the way Ka does. His gritty expression of his and his communities life is such a searingly honest anthropological study it's sometimes hard to digest.
A bit all over the place but thank you for the prompt to write about a song!
IMPORTANT EDIT: HI TOBY!!!
Thanks! There's one I have been wanting to see!
Excellent Review, Ka is one of the greatest poets I find. Ever since night's gambit, his penmanship is definitely one of the best. Him Mach Hommy, Mavi, and not to forget my guy Navy blue who made a really good album in 2020. He's been taken under Ka's wing, Ka is one of kind i also think Mach Hommy is in that same category. Loved the album and your review was spot on
“Heartbroken trying not to love again My whole life recovering”- Ka my next tatt!! 🔥
My fav Ka line is probably “since grade sev, break bread, my friends ate, the cycles bloody decipher money till all my men straight” or “make sure that peace be with you, alikium salaam, make sure that piece be with u, laced in ya palm” or maybe even “mommy preached peace, but in grief imma pop a son”
RIP 🙏
“He’s not really a hermit, right?” I don’t know. Tell that the man who made a classic-worthy album literally under the name, Hermit and the Recluse.
"pump a nickel" means sell $5 worth of drugs.
Ka is the blues, cinematic, socially aware. He’s high art that continues to gather a greater audience. What he’s succeeding to do will be discussed in class rooms years to come.
Thanks for reviewing Ka, not every reviewer on youtube goes as in depth
I got put on to him through Roc Marciano. Marciano has amazing musical works
I’ve found Ka like 6 months ago, at the time I was watching Shawn Cee (another music reviewer) say that Descendants of Cain was his 3rd album of that year. So when I finally listened to him I was so frustrated because of how the music sounded. However, His wordplay made me constantly listen to him and I fell in love with it because it was poetry. I’m 21 trying to write my first ever poetry book, so when I heard Ka I literally researched his lyrics, the content of what he was saying. He not only paints the picture well, but there’s so much to digest. He requires you to listen, he holds pride in his style. This album I have to listen to more but Ka’s lyrical ability has me realizing bars at random times of the day. He’s an inspiration for poet like me for sure.
“I was born the same year my uncle was murdered, I’m his reincar, both with comrades in the streets tryin to be a tsar, he never made it, caught a slug, spirit elevated”
1:00 awesome 🌹 thanks 🙏🏽
If you guys want to check out more Ka, he is the the rapper on 2 other albums. Dr. Yen Lo -Days with Dr. Yen Lo and Hermet and the Recluse - Orpheus vs. the Sirens
So, Professor Skye.... Yeah, you're gonna need to revisit Ka's previous works--even if you decide to do it on your own time and not as separate RUclips videos for each project. The sheer lyricism in pretty much all of his projects is second to none (post-"Iron Works"--which is still a pretty good album in its own right that holds up today, his lyrics are immaculate, pretty much the absolute pinnacle). It'll give you even more of an appreciation for this artist.
He is a recluse but he's linked up with Roc Marciano, Knowledge the Pirate, Preservation and Griselda.
My wine cellar puts your bars to shame
- Ka Day 777
My favourite Ka Project is Days with Dr. Yen Lo and Honor Killed The Samurai. Songs like "$" and ,"Years" and
"Mr. Officer" set him apart for me.
yep
Imo this is his best album. People just don't like change lol KA finally didn't do a concept album and just gave us himself! I think this is his best project so far tbh. Also a weird thing I picked up on was the album art is the same colour scheme as H.K.T.S And it also dropped on August 13th exactly 6 years too the date as the previously mentioned album. Nothing Ka does is by coincidence or mistake! He's my seocnd favourite Emcee for a reason. The mans rhymes are simply elite!!!
I think it's still a concept album, maybe just more loosely than his previous work. I really dig it though
I didn't know anyone new about this guy ka is a beast
Great video as usual. I’d really like to see you do a review of Deca’s new album, Smoking Gun. He is also a very slept on and amazingly talented rapper/producer.
Salute to you, professor! Roc Marciano (who you’ve yet to review! 😤) is basically the father of this underground shit. Westside Gunn’s pops (And DOOM) And using drum-less loops started with Roc Marci, as well.
That said, Ka lyrics have been compared to scrolls. Check out Days of Dr. Yen Lo, Honor Killed the Samurai, and Orpheus vs. The sirens. Real genius shit.
FYI, Roc Marci and Ka have a TON of songs together. Two of the illest to me. In my personal top 10.
“Pump a nickel” could also mean firing his handgun…. He’s too I’ll. Triple entendre. Don’t ask me how.
Professor,
Ka is one of the best musician writers of this day and age…
Anthony
thank you
All of Ka’s albums are masterpieces
awesome
“Pump-a-nickel” -> pumpernickel
Selling nick bags ($5 bag of weed)
LEST GOOOO
Awesome 🌋
I love it...[KA]fka!
My FAVORITE KA ALBUM 🏆🏆🏆
This album is still very strong. Maybe the fanbase is boxing him into a tight conceptual album every time, which is limiting imo. Him opening up or becoming loose with it makes it more relatable, seemingly less dense (its still dense without the heavy themes). This album feels more personal, it is him speaking to us directly versus speaking from a Samurai POV, or Biblical setting... this, is more heartfelt, closer to home than ever, like in I Love, he bares his inner workings and what drives him, can't think of another song in another album that would have allowed for that type of song.
Really also want to thank you for this review, i watch it a couple of times whenever i can.
Hope you check out Descendants of Cain and his other work. So much great work!
You really don’t have to go back and visit his whole catalogue, but I think you really do have to listen to Orpheus vs the Sirens. Easily his best produced album (although I can see why people preferring more sparse production might prefer other projects), and it is the album in which he best executes the theme in my opinion, being Greek mythology on this album. There’s so many genius lines I could quote from there that I carry with me, but my favorite might just be the hard hitting opening lines: “I think it’s fine to relinquish mine for the life of our seeds. For weak moves these dudes will eat your food like harpies. Not just car thieves, large pleas, came home hardened murderers. By the death toll, would have guessed the threshold was guarded by Cerberus”... tell me you don’t want to listen now
Honor Killed the Samurai is a must listen. That, Orpheus and Nights Gambit are all on the same tier for me
You might want to check out Sound Ancestors by Madlib if you already haven't. By the way, great review, I really loved how in depth you went with this album even though it felt pretty short, because there is just so much to unpack with Ka. Anyway, I'm new here and I'm definitely subbing for more. Thank you so much. Greetings from South Africa!
by the way, review "History Will Absolve Me" by billy woods.
and please listen to hiding places.
“It ain’t snitching if you tellin on a pedophile”. that shit hit me like a brick wall
I never thought about your point about listening to KA with headphones but yeah, it's really important. His voice and delivery is steady and never excited. He put adlibs over his rhymes like all rappers but it's never abrasive, so when he raps it sounds like he's simply talking to you, plus his beats are either Zen (Minimal, Quiet, Hypnotic) or Biblical (Grand, Loud, Spooky).
Pump a nickel: To sell $5 baggies worth of drugs.
Or shoot a gun
** Roc Marciano is one of his collaborator just so you know ....he been on some feature w other rapper
Time goes by fast when listening to this album for me because it is so enthralling and every song bleeds into another. Ka never has had a bad song.
Nice
Professor Skye:
This record review that you have presented about Ka's "A Martyr's Reward" is not only one of the best, most detailed and most clearly articulated reviews I have seen regarding Brownsville Ka's work, but it is one of the most rewarding and honest reviews of art ..period....out here. The only point I was not completely clear about, was your reference to socialism (Everybody Up). Is your analysis of the track "Everybody Up" to mean that you believe Ka's lyrics in this track lean toward a Socialistic political position?