[rating=4.00]
Far away from the radio-friendly land of Coldplay inspiring us to “Viva La Vida,” indie rapper Immortal Technique instead compels us to “Viva La Revolution” on The 3rd World. After a five year hiatus presumably spent scouring the globe for injustice, Tech is back once again to slaughter us with his social commentary. Don’t be fooled by the smoothed-over beats thrown down by DJ Green Lantern, Immortal Technique is raw as ever. Always an equal-opportunity offender, Tech serves up enough rich metaphors and references to get anyone thinking and perhaps rushing for Wikipedia. He speaks to his native Harlem, through which he addresses the world while taking on topics such as poverty, politics, racism, the entertainment industry, and any controversial issue other artists won’t touch.
Be forewarned, although his rapping style remains consistent, the music is vastly different than his two previous records. Green Lantern throws a lot of hits and only a couple misses, the better ones matching Tech’s energy pretty well. The 3rd World is also in a mix-tape format, and features a lot of DJ cuts and repeated verses, and as always the skits and sound clips can get old after repeated listens.
Still, every track on 3rd World is solid, from the opening beat of “Death March” to the closing march of the bonus track. The verse at the end of “Hollywood Drive” is brilliant, while Tech flashes his bilingual talent, rapping in Spanish on “Golpe De Estado.” Tech’s type of slashing political rap is definitely not for everyone, so if you can’t stomach the topics, just turn the album into a drinking game- one shot every time Tech spits “revolution.
