Words by Jesse Serwer
In the early ’90s, KRS-ONE introduced us to Mad Lion, producing his classic “Take It Easy” and bringing the gruff deejay into the fold of Boogie Down Productions. The pair would continue to work together on collaborations such as “Double Trouble.” Now, nearly 20 years later, Lion has returned the favor, producing the entirety of KRS’ upcoming album, Just Like That. Said to be the 20th LP by the Blastmaster (who, you will remember, is half-Trini, and one of the true pioneers of the blending of dancehall and hip-hop), the album drops the first week of 2012. Which may be a strategic decision since the album appears to be concerned somewhat with warnings about the end of the world. As you can see from the video for album single “Aztechnical,” which debuted on YouTube yesterday. Lyrically, the track sees KRS drop eyebrow-raisers like “Respect to all that 2012 stuff/But when you really study it, it’s fear/It don’t apply to us. Yo, Hollywood lies to us all day/The question is what does your culture say?” Good question. Watch “Aztechnical” below, and stay tuned for more on this project.