Invisible Man
The Real Huey
Even though Ras Kass' career never quite took off the way he expected it to, his debut album remains a classic landmark in the history of the genre, and it's my pick for the best lyrical album ever. Even the beats I feel are underrated. People like to shyt on them, but I feel the album wouldn't have been the same with a different sound. Ras Kass always had a unique ear for beats, and he laces the entire album with them, which enhances the already cryptic atmosphere and draws the listener in further. Every track is a standout as well, from the stunning opener, which flips religious turns on their head, to the deeply controversial epic "Nature of the Threat", which still gets talked about over a decade later, to the powerful and heartfelt "The Evil That Men Do", Ras Kass' most personal song to date, and ending with one hell of a message in "Ordo Abchao". All of it adds up to more than the sum of its parts, a thought provoking and daunting journey filled with plenty of crazy rhymes to digest that keep you coming back again and again, and Ras Kass' performance on the mic is damn near untouchable. You can feel the passion in his voice with every rhyme he drops. It's easily one of the greatest albums ever made.Let us rejoice in its greatness. Oh yeah, and I always tell people who I recommend this album to to also check out the Soul on Ice demo tape, which has great material in its own right.
And I have to say, I've listened to everything Ras Kass has done since, and he has a LOT of gems in his discography, so definitely seek all that stuff out, it's worth your while.
It's probably not even a top 10 album of 96.
