Sheldon Taylor's Souls of Black Notes

                       Best known to the world as a member of the prolific Bad Boy Hitman production team that crafted hits dominating 90s radio,  Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence enjoyed an earlier life as one-half of rap duo Two Kings In A Cipher (TKO).  Creating the beats and sharing microphone duties with partner Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie, TKO's debut album From Pyramids to Projects introduced metaphysical and Egyptology/Kemetic concepts to rap music.  Lost in the shuffle of like-minded releases for Brand Nubian, X-Clan, Public Enemy and KRS-One, Pyramids received a brief write-up in an October 1991 issue of  The Source but came and went without fanfare.   As Souls of Black Notes explores the era of conscious rhyme, Lawrence goes back in time. Quick to give credit to those who came before--he also makes a clear distinction between what separates TKO from the rest of the rap Black pack . ...

"Part of rap's adhesive is the seamless transition, the sense of continuum, eternity, living with the beat forever"     Barry Michael Cooper: Spin Magazine(1986) "Who da cap fit/let him wear it" Bob Marley (1976) Slang changes like the speed of light---with the swiftness of the latest iPhone rollout. As I watch the peacock vernacular parade go by, words like "drip" and "lit" lead the procession with the stylish strut of a runway model. Fresh faces of yesterday like "fly" "dope" and "swag"   retain a flicker of fame while one rapper remains the face of the entire campaign---Slick Rick the Ruler. One of rap music's greatest artists of all time, Slick Rick's elegant voice is like burnished wood grain. His crystal-clear delivery shines like a winged emblem of a fine motorcar. Premium. Evergreen. Timeless. Rick's   bouncy tracks and nimble storytelling st...