A Martyr's Reward - Ka: Review
Ka
is a Brownsville, New York based rapper whose minimal and introspective brand of hip hop has become massively acclaimed across a series of highly conceptual albums which deliver narrative rich metaphors relating to topics like Japanese samurai, Greek mythology and Christian theology. A Martyr's Reward was surprise released on Ka's personal website and carries the themes of Christian lyrical references over from last years Descendants Of Cain.
Review By Lav:
I have been enamored by Ka's brand on introspective hip hop since years before I started reviewing music. Records like Honor Killed The Samurai and Orpheus vs. The Sirens were not only packed full of incredible wordplay but had overarching themes that were far more creative and literary than you'd typically expect from even the most high brow rap albums. I was pretty impressed by high dive into Christian metaphors on last years record and expected that it may be a while before we hear from him again and that he would likely return with a completely different stylistic approach. Since this record was surprise released I didn't have much time to consider that a Ka sequel of sorts has been pretty rare up to this point but on A Martyr's Reward he proves that there was a reason he revisited the concept, he had more to say.
If you're not familiar with Ka's music I will preface this review with the fact that it is extremely reserved both instrumentally and vocally. These songs are often full of loose, slow flows delivered with compelling but quiet vocals over instrumentals that rarely feature more than a muted looped sample, stark piano or occasional strings. This record is spoiler alert, very good, and the best way about it is to just rattle off its many highlights because the record starts off extremely strong. Opening track Everybody Up has a mostly string based instrumental and some of the typical witty street analogies you'd expect from Ka. Highlights include a slick double entendre referencing Black Rob and his track Woah and a witty reference to potter's fields where people who can't afford cemetery lots are typically buried. This is followed by I Need All That which trades strings for sullen piano. Ka dives deep into the styles of hip hop that have been co-opted by the growing industry and its colonizers and reminisces on a time when hip hop was run by its true black urban cultural innovators. My favorite lyrics on the track is when Ka calls to attention that the culture was so important it was where he would get all his news from at a young age. The instrumental feels so tense underneath Ka's hook which is rightfully confrontational and uncompromising.
Sad To Say is all about those people who pray on Ka's downfall or profit from the misery of those who come from similar circumstances. Ka displays a level of comfort discussing his mistakes and vulnerabilities that most rappers could never achieve with enjoyable wordplay like "telling L's, eloquently". He's also delivering wisdom onto a new generation of people for whom the institutions are as likely to fail them as they did Ka. This leads into the next song PWH which stands for praying, wishing and hoping and expresses the desperation of so many peoples challenging situations. My favorite bar has to be "When you start with no chips, you don't know when to fold" which frames the entire songs argument perfectly and is delivered right in line with the downtrodden beat.
I Notice is another huge highlight opening with a great bar about cops and seeing cells and features an out of nowhere reference to seeing all the horsemen. This may be the most reserved I've ever heard Ka rapping with absolutely no regard for his flows and while it isn't the most compelling from a delivery standpoint it does allow you the opportunity to focus on his lyricism. Like Me is a straight up nocturnal cut with a confrontational, straight to the point hook. I can't say enough about how much the atmosphere of the song heightens its attitude and makes Ka's lyrical points feel so crucial and pertinent. Having Nothin' is a short but sweet closing track based around the idea that having nothing taught Ka everything he needed to know. It's bright by Ka standards but endlessly clever and ends off the final verse with a fitting closing bar "carpe diem to the mausoleum, I'm just being true".
The tracklist here features a pair of two part songs which is rare but not unheard of for Ka. We Living/Martyr also sports another Ka rarity with a Nave Blue feature contributing guest vocals and production. Going toe to toe with Ka is extremely difficult but Navy does a pretty solid job at playing to his strengths and delivering memorable vocals. The first half of the song is fine but the second half is the real highlight with a steady percussion driven instrumental that feels so routine for rap music but so rare for Ka. He flexes some impressive flows I've never heard from him before and makes for a great and memorable second half. Enough Praise/Recovering is the other two part track and the first half is one of my favorite things on the album. Ka calls on his street prowess to spit some amazing bars addressing things like street codes and interacting with cops over the course of a long but incredibly focused verse. The transition is marked by an unsettling instrumental transition into a looser more alien finale that provides a pretty compelling contrast for the song.
There aren't a lot of bad songs on the record like most Ka outings, but there are some curious choices here and there. Peace Peace Peace starts off well with a personal note to Ka's hometown and an amazing series of bars that tie chess, kilts and stalactites together without skipping a beat. The chorus does sound pretty out of place as a bright spot over the distant muttering instrumental but it doesn't necessarily kill the song for me. With All My Heart features a far FAR more awkward hook. Ka's lyrical game remains consistent as there's double meanings to pretty much every single bar here with incredibly proficiency and creativity. Adding to the songs merit is a beat with some mythical undertones that feels like a bit of a call back to Orpheus.
Subtle is a track that barely lasts beyond two minutes and for the most part it's just one long verse. While there are certainly things here I enjoy I don't think this is quite as compelling of an interpolation of percussion as Martyr was and it sounds more like Ka is ignoring the beat altogether and just doing his own thing. The track also has some lyrics that just feel a bit silly and beneath Ka's normal pen game even though the subject matter is clearly important to him. Be Grateful is definitely the worst song of the bunch because it doesn't really even get the chance to show off Ka's talents. The busy instrumental features an array of crashing cymbals that make it difficult to even make out what Ka is saying in his typically muted delivery. While instrumental experimentation has always been a part of his music I'm not sure that turning the volume up is the right move given his reserved style.
A Martyr's Reward is another helping of pretty consistent, lyrically outstanding and thematically focused rap from Ka. While the overarching theological themes are not as present as it seemed like they would be at the outset of the record I don't feel like it's missing anything. Ka just continues to weave magical wordplay around stark instrumentals in a way that feels both familiar for this brand of hip hop, but executed at a level entirely his own. 8/10
This cover is clever and I like the use of only stark black and white to make up the image.
The image is interesting and gives the feeling of a film still that reads as a piece of something bigger. I like the idea behind combining the name and the records title but the rouge K in the white space upsets me and disrupts the space. 5/10
For more lyrically sharp hip hop check out my review of Boldy James & The Alchemist's Bo Jackson here
