Album Profile: Night's Gambit by Ka

Some albums just touch you. In Hip-Hop there are a few albums that, from the first second you knew they would be forever impactful. For me It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Illmatic, Straight Outta Compton, Livin' Like Hustlers and Enter The Wu-Tang and a few others strike your soul almost immediately. 

NY rapper Ka, has accomplished the same with Night's Gambit. Unlike the bulk of rap music today this album is quiet. He does not yell, he almost whispers. Ka's beats have minimalist drums. They are instead haunting melodies with soul moaning elements woven between the rhyme. 

This album is dark. He's from Brooklyn so the reality of violence and the psychology of the streets is in here from front to back. At the same time though, there is an authentic spiritual accent to his work. Not spiritual as in "I'm trying to convert you to what I believe." Rather he just shares indications of how he interprets what he has endured spiritually. 

If you are not up on the meaning of his name, its kinda simple:

"The Ka (kꜣ) was the Egyptian concept of vital essence, that which distinguishes the difference between a living and a dead person, with death occurring when the ka left the body."

That explains the spiritual edge. Snippets from Bruce Lee films, Fresh and Sherlock Holmes are placed here and there. He directed all the videos for this album. You can find them on Youtube. I've said too much. Sit down, and soak it in. Kids get your parents pemission before you listen. This is where art imitates life. So, the violence of the times is reflected here. It is not celebratory. Still I don't wanna get blamed for corrupting humanity with rap. PEACE!