After years of sharing the spotlight, Raaka finally takes center stage with his Crown Of Thorns solo debut. As one third of the much heralded Los Angeles-based Dilated Peoples crew, Rakaa has had his share of hits on that thin line between mainstream and underground courtesy of “This Way,” “Worst Comes To Worst” and “Ear Drums Pop.” While the solo record is an extension of what he has accomplished with his group, it is unlikely to spawn any memorable hits. The beats are excellent and the flow is solid, but there’s something missing here. At times it feels like Rakaa is creating paint-by-number songs rife with tired clichés.

Production is top notch throughout the album and makes up for some of Rakaa’s shortcomings. Babu, Evidence, El-P, Alchemist, Oh No and company provide a diverse palette for Rakaa to play the griot over. KRS-One joins the party for “Human Nature” over a rollicking beat that suits the two emcees perfectly. “The Observatory” finds Rakaa doing his best Chuck D impression as he tackles a wide array of political ills. It would be one of the album’s better tracks were it not for the god-awful chorus courtesy of Mad Lion. The title track is another quality effort marred by a subpar hook, this time sung with pseudo-emotion by Aloe Blacc. As suggested earlier, Rakaa is a technically-proficient rapper who comes correct on every track. The downfall comes via subject matter that has been beaten into the ground (”Mean Streak” and “Eyes Wide”), lazy lyricism (”shoulda checked the time like watch shopping”), and a few too many mediocre guest appearances.

Song you’ll remember in five years: “Human Nature”

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