Austere and prolific writer Vast Aire, one half of the legendary hip hop duo Cannibal Ox, faces off against Chicago underground left field figurehead and ReSERVED flagship artist Gilead7 in a fatal duel of swords and axes. Over the fantastical and deeply evocative MAKER instrumental, Vast Aire is a gigantic ''Gatekeeper'' who guards a palace-castle that protects the God of All Gods. Gilead's attempts to inform the Gatekeeper that the God of All Gods is in danger are mistaken as threats, and a battle of blades and wits ensues. The song and its descriptive writing capture the war in all of its narrative intensity, making the tale clearly visible to the ears.
''Feat Lil' Wayne'' has almost nothing to do with the Young Money icon. The brainchild of three of the seven members of Gilead7's massive crew Tomorrow Kings, Malakh El, Wizard Jenkins, and SKECH185, ''Feat. Lil' Wayne'' tracks a multidirectional conceptual collage of snapshots of these MCs' thought processes that adequately reveal a collective ''resounding uniqueness'' antithetical to mainstream herd instinct ideas that oversaturate human culture. Malakh playfully chides those who claim to have more insight than they actually do into the mysteries of the universe. Wizard weaves a mini narrative of lynching, the rendezvous of a hotel's staff, and a dead subject resurrecting as a ''HellSpawn.'' SKECH185 closes the track with what defines as his ''wedding vows to death'' as he ruminates on how the cowardly path is one that chooses to succumb to such pressure. Produced by Cos of Chicago's own weekly electronic instrumental showcase Push Beats, with lush atmosphere and avant garde drums reminiscent of Elvin Jones, is sure to turn heads by vocal trickery but ensure they remain turned by its satirical realness.
Says
Accesshiphop.com
This is totally on some Can Ox/Atoms Fam shit and it is all that it is cracked up to be. The abstract flows, drums that sway and stories that intrigue will leave you loving hip hop even more.
released December 13, 2013
Side A
Vast Aire Vs. Gilead7
"Gatekeeper" (Produced by Maker)
Mixed by Clock Wize
Mastered by Vince Sealey
Mastered for vinyl by Richard Simpson
Side AA
Tomorrow Kings
"Feat Lil' Wayne" (Produced by Cos)
Mixed by Sean O
Mastered by Vince Sealey
Mastered for Vinyl by Richard Simpson
