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3/23/2006 Thank you all for your support. In case some of you reading don't know who I am. I was awarded Source Magazine's Unsigned Hype, XXL's Chairman's Choice and you may have heard me on Immortal Technique's Revolutionary Volume 2 ("The One Remix"). Anyway, let's cut to the chase. I am releasing my new album "Legacy" for your listening pleasure and to bring you back to a time when Hip Hop was about providing a socially-aware message. I present to you a little piece of me dedicated to y'all…AKIR's Legacy…… The Initiation - We needed something powerful that would solidify the whole feel of the record. Before I even really knew how everything was going to fit together, I knew I needed to hit up my brothers the Heatmakerz. They were some of the first cats that actually hollered at me because of my talent. I met them at this emcee battle at Howard University way back in '98. I went over to there studio complete with platinum plaques and all, and they were still the same cool-ass dudes. I told R'Sonist, "Yo, you got that live-ass sound I need to open this bitch up. He threw some samples on. I picked one and in ten minutes he had created the back drop for this masterpiece. Abiodun had agreed to be the elder on the project and it just came to me. Having the past meet the future through Hip Hop would really just set the tone immaculately. Brother Dun stepped in the booth and a couple takes later, it was history Rites Of Passage - This song exemplifies my whole journey through Hip Hop, from coming up and just wanting to be down to finding my part in it and bringing it to fruition. Not only were all the verses written in 1997 (think about that shit, scary isn't it?) but, it is also an ode to one of my favorite classics, Gangstarr's "Speak Your Clout." Mood Music - I felt like I needed a braggadocio joint where I could just really speak my mind. So I decided to take all the little things that erked me, my current struggles, and my positions and state them with an overall the theme, "I'm here now muthafucka's." Southpaw picked out that sample and as soon as I heard it, I knew it had to be released to the world. Also, I had been getting a lot of write-ups and each one compared me to Nas. For the record I needed to state my respect for Nas but also my intent as an artist to be. I hope people got that. Grind - Originally this song was a lot longer and had several different beats. When I heard this one though, I knew we had to do it. As you will notice in my music, I try to provide elements that are just as exciting and intriguing but are more reality-based for the average individual. If you notice this guy is not holding meetings in Columbia or stacking ki's in the door panel. He is a regular dude trying to get by who got caught up. When released, he's all about getting back on his feet. We can all relate to that. At the end, I have a conversation with my homeboy about trying to flip coke and he puts me on to real estate. I just wanted to open people's minds up a bit. It's not all about "Scarface"-type movies. There are millionaires driving Toyota Corollas next to you everyday. Stay on your grind my niggas with whatever you do and think outside the box. All it takes is persistence and a little paperwork. Treason feat. Immortal Technique - You know we had to do an Akir and Immortal Technique joint. It was only right. Tech came to me with the beat and the hook and we started writing. It was crazy because it was the first time I worked with a producer and DJ that I had never met. It was dope though, because by the time we met, we had all heard each others' talent and had a deep respect for each individual. Of course Tech came through with the crazy verses and the back-and-forth's were really fun. Since we have known each other we have always kept that type of chemistry onstage, freestyling, whatever. This Is Your Life (Part.2) - This track here is one of my highlights of the album. This was really one of the first times I had the ability to merge so many talents together for one masterpiece. First, let me tell you that when I grew up in Hip Hop, artists and record companies made sure to include things in the album package that lured and fulfilled the fan. One thing was the continuing song or the series. (e.g. "Jane," "Blood Money," "Superman Lover"). On my first album I had a song called "This is your Life" and never realized the response that the fans would have to it. I decided to continue what I like to call the "black soap opera." All of the stories and events are loosely based on my immediate surroundings. The track was done by Dada the Golden Child, manicured by myself, bass line by Apex (Dujeous) and narrated by Abiodun and my homie Amin Joseph (actor). Kunte Kinte - I originally wrote this in 2004. I was really just reflecting on my own life and realized once I penned it that many people relate to it. I found a Just Blaze track on a J-Armz mixtape and recorded it as reference. I debuted it here on HipHopGame.com and released it to a couple of mixtapes including DJ Chela and the response was dope. I had the original beat from my One Enterprises brother YG and Southpaw and I decided to accompany it to provide a more cinematic feel. Thus far it has been one of my most important songs. Politricks - This was my lead single. Honestly, I didn't find this track that crazy at first but, Immortal Technique heard it and went crazy. When I was making the beat before I actually wrote the song I wanted to do something in homage to some of my favorite producers Primo and Large Proffesor. The whole time I was writing till this point I had been going through shit and observing current events. One of my good friends Mr.Gomez (congrats on your new family homie) was actually sent into war zones for several years and it was definitely a lot more real when your homeboy is out there risking his life for your freedom and for selfish people and foul political agendas. This song was in response to so much I would need a whole fucking interview on this shit alone. The main idea though revolved around voting and the reason we need to at least try even though most of the time it doesn't matter. You may say, "Fuck that," but, I plead that you think about those ancestors that came before you, that fought and died just for that much. It is our duty to engage, otherwise "shut the fuck up." Apocalypse - Ahhhhh! The last and most prominent song we recorded on the album. This was definitely the icing on the cake. We had finished everything on the album and were going through tracklist changes with Immortal Technique. This dude pulls out a CD and says listen to this. Wow. I immediately started writing and at that point I knew I needed something that was going to take "Legacy" over the top. Everything that I didn't get a chance to express and all the thoughts running through my mind constantly through this whole process needed to come out. I mean really, just look around and you will be able to see all the images I put forth on that track. We get closer and closer to the description in the Bible. How many years do we have left? I'll tell you one thing, I had to get that shit out before it was my time to go. Also, the hook was very important as well, because people often think that this is all entertainment and that there are no boundaries. When you start seeing random akward diesel misfits in bulging muscle shirts come up and say shit like, "I'm watching you," or when you have trouble entering borders, or when every time you travel through airports you're "randomly" searched, you know this shit is real. Change of the Seasons feat. Hasan Salaam - Hasan Salaam is one of the illest lyricists today. I met the brother through "The Reavers" project (Back Woodz Studioz). Not only are his MC and production skills tight, but he has content for years. The brother is on the same brainwave as Tech and I. A side-note to all you haters, stop saying that Hasan Salaam is trying to sound like Tech. I know both of them, and they are there own people, and have no influence on each other. Listen to good Hip Hop and stay awake. I knew this would be a good collab. I needed something to make the transition from one part of the album to the next. See how much I give a shit; I even gave you two albums worth of material. This song plots a thug life from beginning to end. Pay attention to the season references. Ressurect - The debut of the One Enterprises songbirds! The girls on here, Auka Wilder and Krstyl Yardon, were both 17 year-old students of LaGuardia High school when they recorded this track. They were the perfect compliment to this song. "Ressurect" spelled correctly as "resurrect" is a fighting song if you will. Something with a spiritual and party vibe to celebrate our spirit of upliftment out of the many traps we fall into through life. Set to the background of a hot-ass Illastrate beat, this shit bangs. Put it on repeat. It will do you good. P.S., check the credit card lyrics. Kind of sick if I do say so myself. Ride 2 It - I wanted to try a Jedi Mind Trick here. I have been entering into a couple of experiments lately to see if people will dance to different content. It seems to be popular opinion that if you throw in enough graphic images in your lyrics over a crazy beat, the club will jump. If this is such a beat-dominated society how come you can't through some uplifting and thoughtful lyrics over a party beat and let that rock? Hmmmm…I made this beat and honestly shocked myself. When you listen to the song you might honestly think that it was a party track or some shit but really I am dropping food for thought. Either way you gotta "Ride 2 It." No Longer My Home - This here marks the classic struggle between love versus opportunity. Sometimes we sacrifice one for the other and when we look back find regrets. This here describes a real life situation that I went through when I was coming up with "Street Edition." I had made my decision that nothing was going to hold me back. When those lonely nights came though, I have to admit I had to ask myself at what cost though. It's a long road to success and sometimes when you think you are on your way back to share that with the people that mean the most there no longer there. Did you turn them away? Did they abandon you? Either way it's no longer your home. Pedigree - Alright, let's get it straight, I don't talk that gun-busting shit because that's not me. I don't talk that drug shit because that's not me. That doesn't mean that I'm a punk. I like to bang my chest too. This right here, I dedicated to everyone that loves that real shit. I needed to step out on naggers real quick and state my position. I'm here. I can't deny it. It's in my "pedigree." Big shout to Den'd Productions (DC). That beat is gangster my niggas. So Much - DJ N'finit laced this shit. He's always hiding those jewels somewhere. I made him bring it out for this one. I needed to have a reflection track here. This basically was supposed to offset the testosterone energy of "Pedigree." There are always consequences to our actions and few really think about that until they conflict with freedom. This here was just to display the fact that no matter how ahead of the game you think you are, there is still so much you don't know. My homegirl Trakslaya (introduced to me by Dalenise) came up and laced the piano for me. This was actually one of he first tracks that my mom got really excited about on the album. I was happy to have live musicians on this project. Tropical Fantasy feat. Jean Grae - Crazy delivery by Jean Grae here. We met one time before the track was supposed to recorded. She came to the session and expressed that she had lost her rhyme book. I'm thinking how the hell is this going to work out? That's when her professionalism kicked into high gear and as I recorded each verse she wrote hers. She complemented everything I layed down and then did the hook! Out of nowhere, she gets in the booth and starts singing this crazy shit. I already knew from the time Southpaw played this beat for me it would stand out but when I started test-marketing the shit to people when I was on tour, the ladies were going crazy. I knew we had something on our hands. Homeward Bound - This track started out as a simple loop, and before I knew it, it had successfully grown into a full autobiography. If you listen carefully, I display my whole story of being a child moved from place to place in search of a home. Basically the gist of the song is that I found my home in New York and even more, appropriate the music. By the way didn't Dave Guy (Dujeous) rip that shit out the frame with his trumpet or what? Legacy - This here had to cap off everything. Apex (Dujeous) gave me this beat probably over a year ago. I had no idea what it would turn into but I knew that I had to use it. Being that it was the end and title song I wanted to bring back brother Abiding (the Last Poets) to bless it with some words of wisdom. What made this really hot was that Brother Dun (one of the originators of Hip Hop and spoken word) passed the torch to Mas-D (Dujeous are the first cats I knew that did music professionally) to me and then from me to my homeboy, Vex One (the next to come up and show the world what real Hip Hop is). All done between a hook which is between Mojo (Dujeous) and Akua Wilder (LaGuardia High school). It was a perfect match between old and new and a celebration of generations coming together for the cause of unifying. Thus, I leave you with a timeless masterpiece.

Also Read: Akir Interview with HipHopGame (3/13/2006)

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