POCKET FULL OF GHETTO POEMS: THE ALBUM REVIEW by Vincent Morris WoodyPocket Full of Ghetto Poems is a testament to Southern hip hop, avoiding the gangsta and drill music clichés so often found in current music. It is a throwback to an earlier time when hip hop had substance, without being lame or preaching to the choir.
Graham is the author of this authentic and often haunting material that puts you in the mind of OutKast meets Public Enemy. Only the old heads can feel me on this one.
The beats are just hard enough for the streets, while at the same time being laid back enough for the whip. The kind of album that makes you think, while nourishing your soul, and entertaining simultaneously. Graham takes you on a journey that extends beyond the South into the metaphysical without separating you from the now.
Social issues are tackled and subject matter is presented that is missing from today's spit, such as on the track Illuminati, which not only makes me nostalgic for the purity of 90's hip hop, but releases a hook that makes me want to get a Mob Deep album.
There are infectious songs that have been released online such as Dope Boy Fresh, which has a track with a state of emergency feel to it, as Graham rides the beat with passion. You have Too Many Emcee's, which puts me in the mind of an old school KRS One, Mad Lion collaboration, updated for today's audience.
What do you get when you mix a teacher, a philosopher, an emcee, and a revolutionary?
A Pocket Full of Ghetto Poems.
In order to get your copy of Pocket Full of Ghetto Poems: The Making of a Hip-Hop Classic send checks or money order of $10 or more to Eric D.Graham PO Box 172 Magnolia, NC 28453
