Review – The Yuinon ‘Genocide’

Genocide: the systematic and planned extermination of an entire group of people, in this case the hip-hop generation. When people hear the term genocide, it conjures many different thoughts. Some may think it’s alarmist’s to use this term in relation to the hip-hop generation. The goal of this CD from the cover to the end of the last song is to jar the listener into the realization that the current state of hip-hop culture is one that is leading it to extermination.

I didn’t say that. That’s from the first paragraph of the liner notes of the Genocide CD sleeve. Is hip hop deteriorating? Well, with Ambassador coming with “The Thesis,” and then The Yuinon coming out with “Genocide,” you’ve got to say to yourself, “something isn’t right.” With heavyweights within Holy Hip Hop coming out with such albums, I think that’s enough for folks to begin waking up and smelling the coffee.

Yes, Holy Hip Hop is facing a great risk of being a lost frequency. We’re about to end up on the AM channel if we don’t get our act together. The world is on FM full blast! It seems we are at the mercy of secular hip hop artists, producers and moguls, but that’s about to change. I am VERY hopeful.

Why is HHH so important? No, this isn’t my version of “The Thesis,” but simply my introduction to this album review. It is important because the world is being dictated to by hip hop music in the airwaves. With Genocide, The Yuinon is standing as John the Baptists and saying, “Yo, wait a sec! We won’t stand for this anymore!”

Immediately, out the box, the album bursts the doors down strong with Jack and Light Da Flow Minista. Many of you may have heard Light on the H.E.R. Project. If you did, you already know that the sista has skillz that could contend with ANY secular artists. In contrast to a lot of females – secular and gospel – she writes her own lyrics. Sista ain’t no joke! Her and Jack rip this fearsome beat to pieces! If you saw the intro we did for The Yuinon and heard this joint in it, the beat does you just like the intro depicts. It DROPS on you! This one line shows you how they’re coming on this one…

Drugs, money, sex, ice, hooks, beats and cars, I’m sick of the same seven topics on every sixteen bars!
– Light Da Flow Minista / The Block

Ayo, she also got a word for some of you message board folks. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear! 🙂

I think people were excited to see that Corey Red and Precise were on this album. Actually, Precise aka “Bob Young,” Yuinon Local 718, is now a part of the Yuinon Records family. He and Corey are both working on solo projects at the time, but it’s good to see them both on this piece.

I was kind of disappointed though, because I was hoping that Corey would be featured on more than one song. The song was actually just a remix of The Yuinon Anthem. But, it’s all good. It doesn’t take away from the album at all. Bob Young – on the other hand – is featured on three songs though. I like them all, but the one I love the most is “G.E.M.”

When God put it together, watch it last forever, I see the storm coming, watch us make it pass the weather, You a gem, I wanna see you shine forever, I think your mind is clever, you got it all together.
– Precise aka Bob Young / G.E.M.

Precise dedicates this to his “wifey,” but this song aims to show the worth of a godly woman. We should never under-appreciate our women of God. They are the backbone of the family and the church. It’s time that men begin to recognize just how important it is to treat your woman right. Too many Christians are getting divorces due to adultery, domestic violence, money and what not. We need to take marriage serious, fam. That’s what Precise is stressing on this track. Yo, I want to see marriages shine forever!

“G.E.M.” is actually a sister-track to “Warrior” performed by Mahogany Jones. The song actually has a little intro to it, in which Maji plays the part of a player trying to hit on her. “You know I got the 30-inch rims, Platinum timbs…” But then Ms. Jones begins to rip that whole “playa tryin’ to get in the draws” concept apart! Peep what she tells the men in this verse.

You will need more than fancy cars / flossin’ hard thinkin’ you superstar / All night drinkin’ thinkin’ you coming home to me? / I want a warrior, not a soldier!
– Mahogany Jones / Warrior

I learned something new from this album, and Maji is the one who broke it down for me. There is a difference between a warrior and a soldier. A soldier is a street cat; someone who’s running game on the streets and ain’t really about nothing that benefits anyone. A warrior, on the other hand, is a man of God. We’re more than little soldiers. Any of you ever seen Mel Gibson in Braveheart, or Russel Crow in Gladiator? Alright then, you should vividly see the difference now. Also, if you pay close attention to “The Block,” a little fun is poked at “soldiers.”

All of my soldiers bob your head like, “La-da-da-da-da-da”

LOL… Thanks for breaking that down for me bro!!!

Need a good laugh? Then peep the satirical irony on track nine! LOL. That was straight funny, but it’s also sad that it exists. Yeah, yeah, I know. I didn’t tell you what was said or what happened. That’s because I didn’t want to ruin it for you. You’ll appreciate my withholding of information.

Yo, a song that I really love is not even one in which people flow on it. It’s one called “You Don’t Know Me,” performed by Janee Bradford. Janee, you have a beautiful voice. Fam, I wouldn’t be surprised if this one ended up on secular radio (I think you should do that Maji). This is an uplifiting message that deals with people hating and judging you. Don’t let that mess get you off focus! There will ALWAYS be haters. But the central part of the message is that you are of worth. Recognizing whose you are (God’s), who you are (in Him) and what you’re worth (to Him) is what allows you to make it through the haze of hatin’. Who is the true hater? Satan.

You don’t know me… You don’t know me… You don’t know me, so don’t speak on me / Crabs in the barrel – crabs in the barrel, baby – crabs in the barrel, gonna try to pull you down.
– Janee Bradford / You Don’t Know Me

The track right after that is one that has beat that draws you into a zone! It makes you start thinking about the good ol’ days within your childhood when people like The Commodores and groups were out and what not. The theme to this song is an entirely different story. The song is “Where The Progress?” The Mad Prophets ripped it on this one, not just lyrically, but with the thought provoking message delivered straight your heart and mind. This one addresses the church, as well as the African-American community, by just straight out asking you, “Where’s the progress?!!” It’s a low, down, dirty shame when you think of it. Especially with this Hurricane Katrina situation…. I don’t need to dive any further into that because I don’t want no-one hatin’ on me. I’d have to play “You Don’t Know Me” a few times to get my mind back right. To continue, they are basically saying that we do all this talk about how we’ve “arrived,” but yet we’re “livin’ life so godless.” It’s a shame when you begin to become a people who don’t recognize God. Instead, many within the church are recognizing the “Almight $$$.”

A rugged, RUGGED beat is brought to you on “40 Bars”! I can see many pumpin’ this in their rides and pressing repeat on this one. My girl, (well, not my girl, but my sista in the Lord; I’m happily married), Light was just the right emcee to spit on this beat! You can’t come weak on this beat. She brought it! And with truth! “Our Father, my Abba, I love you, and I thank you.” That’s her prayer and heartfelt prayer at the beginning. It shows her soft side and where her heart is. You can tell she meant it too. Yo, y’all ain’t ready for Light Da Flow Minista!!!! Stay tuned for an album. 😉 But enjoy as much of her as you can while peepin’ Genocide. All I can do is shake my head at how she brings it. The world ain’t ready! ‘Cause they’re gonna have to respect her when she comes. Anyway, Light doesn’t even talk to us directly on this track, but indirectly. The whole song is actually a prayer to her heavenly Father. The focus of her prayer is same thing Jesus prayed, which is referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer,” “Thy kingdom come, Your will be done.”

I would be remiss if I didn’t speak about Zion on this one. With the seriousness of this album, it’s good to have some comedic relief. The interlude before “Death To The Flesh” is another tickler.

Death! I guess we’ll have a family reunion / I bet, animals glad they not human / The devil won’t be happy til everybody gets layed out / you’ll never see a day when killing each other gets played out / Blood stained battle field, I’m in the front / You idolize these sucka rappers til you find out they punks / Somebody else shootin’ while they rhyming a bunch / Somebody bleedin’ ain’t even the time of the month!
– Zion / Death To The Flesh

Need I say more? Mmm-mmm-mmm… Again, I can only shake my head. Everyone involved with this album did their thing. EVERYBODY. No-one outshined another. That’s how it should be.

And you know what else? Expect a head banger with Sistah Dee and Shekinah called “Fallen Soldjah” What Christian won’t be able to relate this song? Thank God for His grace – then and NOW! But, yo… y’all rocked it! Maji also brought back the good ol’ scratchin! This track takes you back to the 90’s and puts that millenium twist on it. Thanks for this track.

Last but not least, I’ve got to talk about “Off Da Hook.” People were feelin’ what little they heard in the intro big time! But you are in for much more of a treat! From what I keep hearing, this is a lot of people’s favorite track. Quan and Mahogany Jones rip this like they hidin’ documents from the IRS! Yo, just check out this verse…

Hands waving in da air / knees scrappin’ on the floor / whose cavin’ in from the echo of the uproar? / left’em wit they throat soar / puzzled like jigsaw / Hey did you see what it was that I saw when the sky cracked? / Forget the Empire! The Messiah’s coming to strike back!
– Mahogany Jones / Off Da Hook

STRAIGHT FIYA!!!

Note that I said this. This is the album of the year for me. I don’t rate albums, but if I did this album would get 6 out of 5 mics. I didn’t even review all of the songs. They are all fiya! It has everything you need. Want to hear a bangin’ beat? Got it! Need something relaxing? Got it! Need a females perspective? Got it! Need a man’s perspective! Got it! Need some singin’? Got it! Need a tight flow? Got it! Need a laugh? Got it! Need a song that ministers? Got it! Need the truth?????? GOT IT!

Go cop the album!

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