Vakill - Armor of God

1. Intro
2. Hi Ate Us (produced by Panik) (4.5)
3. Armor of God (produced by Jake One) (4.25)
4. Mean Mug Muzik (produced by Panik) (4)
5. Sick Cinema (produced by Panik) (4)
6. Heavy (produced by Panik) (4.25)
7. Endless Road f/Vizion (produced by Bluntologist) (4.25)
8. The Apology (produced by Joe Blow) (5)
9. Wild Wild (produced by Bluntologist) (3.75)
10. Beast Ballad f/Crooked I, Rhymefest, Juice & Nino Bless (produced by Panik) (4.75)
11. NWA (produced by Panik) (4.5)
12. You Don’t Know f/Astonish (produced by Panik) (4.5)
13. I Came for U (produced by Panik) (5)
14. Armorgeddon (produced by Jake One) (4.5)
15. A Lynched Legacy (produced by Memo) (4.25)
16. Bi-Polar (produced by Panik) (4.25)
17. Proof (produced by Jake One) (4)

After 5 years, Va is finally back. I'll admit, while I was hyped for the album, I was a little apprehensive of whether or not it was gonna live up to his previous albums - especially The Darkest Cloud, one of my favorite albums of all time, and easily my favorite of 2003. With hip-hop's ever-changing style, we've all seen artists turn mainstream in an attempt to appeal to the masses, hoping for more sales but in the end only alienating their fans and not expanding their fanbase. Yet Vakill's lyricism is still as structured yet free-flowing and as witty as before. Production is pretty decent, it's not the highlight here by a long stretch, though I think it's more consistent than on Worst Fears Confirmed. However, I feel the album is marred a little bit by its length. One of the trickiest things to balance on a rap album is quality vs. quantity. Most artists, if they try hard enough, can create an impressive and entertaining EP, but it's the mark of a true artist if they can craft an interesting album that can captivate you from front to back. It's a rare feat that most artists, included Vakill, can't seem to pull off. There's some filler here. While you've got a number of impressive tracks like "The Apology", they're followed up by forgettable ones like "Wild Wild". Overall, this album is certainly an enjoyable listen - it's hard to discount Vakill's lyrical ability and his ability to craft a tight and intelligent rhyme track after track.

Sample Tracks

"Armor of God"


"Beast Ballad"


"Bi-Polar"


Beats & Production: 8.5/10

Rhymes & Lyricism: 9.5/10

Originality & Creativity: 8/10

Overall Grade: 86%

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