The Geek Shall Inherit the Earth
By
Sparkplug
Album Review
At the tail end of last year, 2019, Leeds emcee Sparkplug
dropped his latest release “The Geek Shall Inherit the Earth”, an album fifteen
tracks deep and packed with stories from youth. Although he has been on the
scene for some five years now, this was the first I had heard from this
talented artist. So, you can see how easy it is to miss some of the new and
rising talent out there on the scene and this album also features production
from the upcoming McDank, Whitekey and Riseone; providing some heavy beats for
Sparkplug’s multi layered punchlines and words which
pack a punch filled with flavour, using styles and flows reminiscent of the
late 1990’s.
With such a wealth of rising talent and the description of
his word flow and rhyming style, I was eager to get into this album and see
where it took me. So, let me take you through the album track by track:
Kicking off with 7
Steps a laid back vibe with a strong beat and heavy orchestral notes, this
track gives us an insight into what it’s like to be Sparkplug in his day to day
life. Speaking of life, it can be a heavy thing and on Fifa 95, Sparkplug takes on another ride though life. The beat is
more simplistic but, the vibe still heavy and if you can remember the days of
playing games like Fifa, back in the mid-90’s you will know exactly how we used
to pound those controllers while playing the game. There are times you gotta
kick back and some just like to take the chill out to the highs of Space Junk. A nice beat you can nod ya
head to and all capped off with a jazzy piano, really sets the vibe for this
one.
Many of will go through our lives never knowing the riches
of money, being Forever Poor but,
less is often more and being rich is a state of mind and that is what this
track said to me as it flowed to a laid back vibe that brought light to an
often dark subject. If you needed any more confirmation that your state of mind
is key in life, then Zest of Life
will help you on that note too, you’re only as good as your mind state.
Bringing back the boom bap style with Oddball,
as Sparkplug takes us on another trip though who he is and experiences that
have shaped him into the oddball he is.
Time to get deep into the mind of Sparkplug and what it is
like trying to be the true you in a world where many try to someone else and Be Yourself, with its easy flowing
vibe, aptly takes to the place of defining who you are. I Stand Alone with Many takes us on soulful and jazzy vibe trip
through many of the stresses, strains and challenges of life. From the stresses
and strains it’s time to shine a bit of light on things with laid back, easy
going Be Easy, Because life might be
hard but, you gotta take the rough with the smooth and take it easy.
The beat drops heavy on 1000
Words, as Sparkplugs takes us on a journey though painting life’s pictures
using words, the art of the Hip hop poet. Now taking us back to the soul tip
with Fiend, here Sparkplug details
how we all have times we have done things we may not be proud off but, it’s all
just a part of life and the experiences that shape us. Time to drop heavy as
Sparkplug school’s us on the art of what he does on Witness. An Emcee’s words come from the heart through the mind and,
for me, that is what this track really says.
One Life, has a
great beat that seemed to take me back to the 80’s vibe with Sparkplug dropping
a track that really talks on the seeds and inspirations that grow into ideas
and then more. The penultimate track is the easy going vibe of Time. This one is all about those who
have walked the path before us and who have now left the earthly plane and the
effect it has on us, this is as deep and real as it gets. The albums last track
is LowDown and takes us out on a
heavy jazz vibe, which is one of my favourite beats on the album. Here,
Sparkplug takes us through some of his experiences from his youth to nights out
on the town.
I have to say that I have really been impressed by a lot of
up and coming underground Emcees and Sparkplug is no exception. The album may
only have one simple focus throughout, which is his own experiences of life and
what he has and does see around him day to day but, is that really an issue
when he is well skilled in the art of using words as a canvas to pain pictures
for the listener. Not just that but, when you add into the mix a wealth of
talented producers who bring some nice vibes that really fit well with the
individual vibe of each track and the overall vibe of the album, then for me it
does a great job of bringing a vision to life.
This album gives the listener a perfect platform to put this
album on, in any situation, and just lose yourself in the wordscapes and mental
pictures that the album brings to mind. You can really feel the reality and
emotion in these tracks, some more than others, and that really speaks to me.
It shows me that Sparkplug really puts his heart and soul into what he is
doing. The way he crafts his lyrical content is very much a credit to him and I
can see more, perhaps bigger things, to come. So, watch this space.
Definitely one to watch, I would advise you to grab a copy
of this album and see where it takes you. I don’t think you will be
disappointed.
I want to give a quick shout to Sparkplug for sending me the album to review and also to my man Danny Brown.
So, Please go grab a copy and support but, above all, enjoy and till next time,
I’m outta here...
Steve
I Stand Alone with Many - Video
Fiend - Video
Odd Ball - Video
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