Philadelphia, Pennsylvania underground veteran Kamachi releases his sixth studio LP and first in 10 years. A member of JuJu Mob, a former member of the Legion of the Pharaohs, his first few solo releases, Cult Status and Concrete Gospel, were released before his departure, followed by AotP’s second release, Ritual of Battle, and later Introduced The Clock of Destiny. A few days after Christmas, he returned with the divine body.
“The 4th Lecture” is a triumphant hardcore intro about people from different origins who refuse to sacrifice their integrity for celebrity status, while “Solar Return” likens itself to Part 8 on a piano-driven instrumental Egyptian. “Dime Bags of Divinity” embraces the roar of gospel, calling itself the sun rising over the ghettos tomorrow, before “Storm the Capital” calls us all to prepare to be free.
From here we have Kamachi confessing every step he took in “Sold the Soul”, feeling as though it was the final dawn, wondering who pulled back the light leading up to “96 Fatigues”, bringing kicks and military The drums are re-hung to speak about freedom being a dirty flag standing behind. The “Earth Mecca” fondly recalled the last time he saw the Queen, who was looking up to the sky in the neighborhood before the “concrete prayer rug” brought the voice of repentance to everyone.
The Domingo-produced “Astral Prison” happens to be my personal favorite, from the drumless keys to the lyrics that clear his name as a prisoner of the stars, while “Breakfast in Babylon” is all about knowledge rather than what it tastes like Bread of ashes and despair. The self-produced “Lil Kev Ain’t a Killer” tells the story of a church boy with a pure soul who spends the rest of his life in prison, but before the title sequence, “NTB” ends by letting him know, you know .
Returning after a ten-year absence from the scene, Kamachi is back with an album that redefines the spiritual, lyrical, and raw boundaries of hip-hop, and rightly so. Godbody takes underground minds on a sonic journey through the streets, channeling the soul and universe with the precision and power that only Kamachi can bring, inspiring entire movements rather than simply being considered music.
Rating: 7/10
