Deacon The Villain & Sheisty Khrist – Niggaz With Latitude
QN5: 2010
For CunninLynguists fans, 2010 was not a disappointment – even though the group did not release an album. The critically-acclaimed group’s founders both had a chance to go solo (well, kind of) with the release of Kno’s Death is Silent and Deacon The Villain’s Niggaz With Latitude with Sheisty Khrist.
While both the album’s title and the cover art are an obvious allusion to N.W.A. and the group’s 100 Miles and Running release, Deacon and Sheisty don’t share the same lyrical content as their South Central influences.
NWL opens with serious, and somewhat familiar, topic in “Satellites”. Sheisty, in particular, seems concerned about his personal privacy in today’s technology-driven society – and wonders if Big Brother has detected his downloaded movies, books and media. The guitar-driven track matches both MCs in terms of aggression and gives the lyrics a sense of urgency and importance – not unlike another Southern group’s Big Brother-esque track. (Goodie Mob’s “Cell Therapy”)
The Dungeon Family comparison reaches its apex on the outstanding, piano-driven “Chevrolet Doors” when Sheisty makes reference to “KY Aliens”. Deacon’s production work on NWL (he produces all but one track) is outstanding and is best described as Southern soul (hence the Dungeon Family comparison).
Both “Ascension” and “Black Dog”, the latter of which features Kno, boast vocal samples that fit seamlessly into the production. The former track allows Deacon to question the status quo of his people and just who is buying into the agenda, while the latter is a perfect reminder of why so many critics, and fans, are clamoring for another CunninLynguists project.
Ultimately, NWL allows both MCs to shine – and Sheisty certainly does that on “Nobody Speaks”. He absolutely shreds the familiar drum sample with his paranoid lyrics – all while not overshadowing either Deacon’s production or his own verse.
The album’s only track worth skipping is “Rip the Guts”, which features featuring Soul Akoben – and the only thing that needs skipping is the chorus. While both Deacon and Sheisty deliver lyrical performances that will not turn the listener off, the almost speed metal refrain doesn’t fit with the rest of the song – or the rest of the album.
Niggaz With Latitude succeeds because of the talents of both Deacon the Villain and Sheisty Khrist. Both MCs deliver top-notch lyrical performances – and Deacon has crafted productions that suit the pair perfectly (the instrumental versions of the songs, included with the CD, testify to the skill level of the production). It’s another outstanding release from the extended CunninLynguists family – and it has raised the bar for both Deacon and Kno for their next release together.
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4 out of 5
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