Band: Afro DZ ak
Album Title: Elevation
Record label: Gnawledge records
Release date: Sept. 23, 2008
Grade: B -
Pete "Afro DZ ak" Shungu, the multi-instrumental emcee, ditches his training wheels for the release of his solo debut Elevation. He represents a voice of change, combining a sound of hip-hop, jazz, soul and poetry. Shungu's elevated inspiration is dispersed throughout the album's 12 laid-back, love-laden tracks.
In an effort to balance the atmosphere of his deep-rooted lyrics, Afro DZ ak uses a unique collection and composition of outside components comprised of instruments and sound clips. A range of instruments, including trumpets, drums, pianos and keyboards, uplift each song with a calm, soulful, enjoyable sound.
The trumpet and saxophone create a sexual, yet disarming, vibe in "Pump Your Fist," complimented exponentially by lyrics spit in French by featured artist Reel Carter.
Essentially, the instrumentals create a unique edge that probably could've been amplified more than their set levels. The vocals of Afro DZ ak are relatively flat and clean cut. With such strong-minded statements on the flaws and animosity in the world, the indie artist should consider using more power in his tone.
His lyrics come off slightly used and unoriginal. It's obvious that he has incorporated lines from many other hip-hop artists, which might be interesting to some. The new artist should focus on promoting his own style and avoid becoming a carbon copy of what he is trying to avoid in the first place.
It seems that the focus of the album is to amp up listeners by channeling a positive voice. The song "See The World" exemplifies a powerful message with lines echoing the sentiments of any hopeful political party.
"I'm trying to be the change I want to see in the world/ But first I got to see the world in order to understand it," sings DZ ak, thriving on his thirst for knowledge and education.
DZ ak, the so-called "elixir of love," often comes across as overly confident, which might not be the best approach to his cause, considering the fact that he doesn't have a huge fan base or much experience to back him up. Some might be essentially turned off by the constant focus on problems in society, but overall, the tracks are inspirational and heighten listener awareness of the listener.
Elevation will turn heads as the album is defiantly booming with inspiration and successfully manages to separate itself from the stereotypical sound in hip-hop.
