Pagan: 1st Movement 1968


Simply magnificent. The beats are relatively simple, some of the loops are recognizable, but they peacefully coexist with the lyrics. The production brings the whole mood of the album together fairly well with deep messages contrasted by raw common sense. "Underground" hiphop music is displayed in one of its finest forms with 14 tracks of knowledge and experience. The variety is evident, blurring the lines between emceeing and spoken word, between the slower darker music to the upper tempo of "Honorable Mentions", boredom is easily achieved in most independant releases, but thats not the case this time. "While I aint a clone, I aint gone play the role of a deacon, but I'll still leave the light on", he raps, "I must admit though that I'm a hypocrite", The words are proven to be much deeper due to the fact that we have an artist here who, can indeed play the teacher and the student with very little conflict. This album is definately not the party album, nor is it purely deep. Creative linguistics and witty lines keep the album fresh when the hypnotising instrumentals lose you in the music. To wrap it up, if most mainstream albums were looked upon as relationships, the fling on the side is only good for the moment because its refreshing, however, Pagan: 1st Movement 1968 is the wife that still wants you to come home even when nobody else wants you. Respect has been earned.
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In the late 90's, Stream of Conscious traded clever cipher innuendos for 
small-restaurant-turned-open-mic venues.  But after audiences opted for 
pussy poems and diatribes of the newspaper clipping du jour instead of 
politically spiced self reflection, Conscious hurriedly dusted off his rhyme 
book and headphones. "Pagan Beta Version 1.0", his second offering, is 
reminiscent of a backpacker's creed sans pseudo-intellectual preachyness. 
Songs like "Unorthodox" and "Honorable Mention" assert a kinship to street 
life without glorifying the perpetual degradation. In fact, Pagan seeks to 
provide a home remedy for scars improperly treated by band aid toting urban 
missionaries. "Basketball Jones" confers a thug's love requirement and while 
numerous emcees have touched on the subject, the track is a testament to 
human need. Not only is the album covertly political, but it also succumbs 
to the listener's desire for sonic entertainment with hesitation beats like 
an Iverson crossover in the playoffs. Pagan is a Gansgstarr, De La Soul, 
Slum Village po boy sandwich with no mayo and extra mustard. Pass the Grey 
Poupon.
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