New York rap lifer
Kurious
is somewhat of an unsung legend, well-regarded by dedicated hip-hop fans despite his relatively scanty discography. He came up in the early '90s as part of
the Constipated Monkeys
, a crew which included members of
KMD
, and briefly worked at
Def Jam
before his
Columbia
-distributed debut, similarly titled
A Constipated Monkey
, arrived in 1994. Not quite as sexual as
the Beatnuts
or as jokey as
3rd Bass
, to name two longtime associates and collaborators,
established his sharp-witted yet playful style, which has only tightened up with age and experience. Partially due to label woes,
went 15 years before releasing a follow-up, but he remained on hip-hop fans' collective radar through numerous appearances on
MF Doom
-related releases, and he became more prolific than ever during the 2020s, issuing three records during the first half of the decade.
Majician
(a longtime nickname for the rapper) was executive-produced by
Doom
before his untimely passing, and was co-released by his
Metalface Records
and underground hip-hop empire
Rhymesayers Entertainment
. Beats were supplied by
Mono En Stereo
, frequent collaborator of
Homeboy Sandman
, and they seem to draw from synth-funk, orchestral soul, fusion, and yacht rock, exhibiting the same sort of eclectic, whatever-sounds-good approach to sampling and beat chopping as
's productions without sounding like a carbon copy of his style.
' lyrical references to
DJ Red Alert
,
the Rock Steady Crew
, and Crazy Eddie make clear that he was a child of a certain era of New York City history, but the album doesn't feel like a mere throwback or nostalgia trip. He recognizes the contributions of hip-hop's pioneers to the culture (not just from the Big Apple, but around the country), and looks out for aspiring rappers, making sure they're aware of the dangers of the music industry. His lyrics manage to seamlessly mix heady introspection with cheeky humor, offering insight while keeping spirits high.
is a focused and fun effort from an underrated veteran. ~ Paul Simpson