Killer Mike - Sunday Morning Massacres #1 (download)

Killer Mike is all kinds of reasons to love Hip Hop.  Who else in Hip Hop today could pull off one of the hardest and best Hip Hop albums of the year (Run The Jewels II), speak the truth about Ferguson and drop a bible inspired mixtape in short order.

Sunday Morning Massacres vol. 1 (also known as Ghetto Gospels) speaks to Mike's learnedness and southern upbringing.  This is one of those records you don't want to delete all the 'skits' on.  The skit, which is admittedly the bane of all Hip Hop albums and a faded concept, is here elevated to true street gospel.   On the intro Mike explains that as opposed to East coast and West coast gangsters- Southern G's (gangsters and the god squad) cross paths some times when the pastor sneaks into a juke joint or the gangster goes to church with his grandma on Sunday.  With production by DJ Greg Street this batch of songs actually dates back to 2008 and riding the crest of Run The Jewels popularity, fueled by indignation about racial inequality, Killer Mike undoubtedly thought it was timely to release this material now.

It's a very strong mixtape across the board and with the street sermons that precede every tune it's a necessary primer for street thugs who've lost their way.  His intentions may be a bit mixed.  Jockin' is a pretty standard call-out of Jay-Z  and 'fourth generation Jay-Z biters' - which shows its age with the reference to the song from Jay's 2008 release Blueprint 3.  Neva/ The Judas Theory evinces Mike's biblical knowledge about Jesus knowing that he would be betrayed and by who.  His advice at the end of the previous skit is straight street though:

"You need to start looking around you and seeing who gonna deny you once you behind bars. Or who ain't gonna stand up under the pressure and might turn you in.  Based on that you need to make different decisions."

It's hard to imagine Killer Mike post-Ferguson recording a track with the same message.  But Caine and Abel is particularly on point talking about the challenges Blacks face trying to run a business together.  One of the most insightful cuts similarly is Samson (Message to Young Black Athletes).  In the sermon that precedes the joint Mike makes the pointed observation that a lot of young Black athletes model themselves after street figures.  "I think morally a lot of them are making the wrong decisions based on the music they listen to rather than the discipline it took to get them where they're going."  The rest of the skit/sermon though switches to the figure of Delilah cast as a modern day athlete chasing bitty who will do what needs to be done to seperate you from your money.