Afu-Ra
State of the Arts

Gangstarr affiliate, Jeru the Damaja protégé, Tae Kwon Do expert, and spiritual emcee Afu-Ra flexes his versatility on his third album, State of the Arts. The production on this album blends hip hop, dancehall (“Deal Wit It” ft. Kardinal Offishal and Jah Don), reggae (“Why Cry” ft. Gentleman, “BK Dance”), and rock (check the guitar on “Rumble”), putting the listener in a different mood from track to track.
Unfortunately, Afu-Ra is outdone by the excellent production of DJ Premiere, PF Cuttin’, and others. Not to say that he isn’t a gifted emcee, there are some really good tracks, but as the album progresses, he falls into cliché, watered-down rhymes using trite topics.
The album’s not bad, but it ain’t all that great. I guess I was expecting some super lyrical spiritual stuff because of his hype. Though much of the album is mediocre, highlights include “Why Cry”, “Rumble” (and you’re gonna wanna rumble after hearing this song), and “God of Rap.” Underground and east coast rap fans are gonna like this album for the headnodding beats alone.