Peruvian Rap Reveals “Revolutionary” Power

by Janessa Demeule

Peruvian rapper Immortal Technique’s first album, Revolutionary Vol. 1 has been around for almost nine years, and to this day it demands to be heard. The underground artist compiled some of the most brutally realistic and emotionally powerful lyrics in the past decade.

Released in 2001, the self-made Revolutionary Vol. 1 is one of the most thought-provoking albums I have ever picked up. Every track on this album is not only well produced, especially for being mixed by Technique and not a large label, but harsh in every sense of the word. Attention grabbing from the first second to the last, this CD is guaranteed to change your outlook. Technique’s perspective is politically militant and echoes of Malcolm X on many of his tracks. Lyrically these are some of the tightest rhymes ever written. He writes his songs to make listeners think and feel. Something other artists completely abandon in their rhymes.

Overall, the album ranks a ten. For this reviewer, the lyrics are unlike anything written in rap in the past ten years. It brings a level of emotional brutality that sweeps other rappers. If you are looking for rap about how easy life is you might want to pick up Kanye West’s latest album. If you are looking to think and be free of your own conceptions of life, pick up Revolutionary Vol. 1 on iTunes. Suggested tracks are “Speak Your Mind,” “Dance With the Devil” and “Dominant Species.”