Prinx Mikul :: Brooklyn Meets Africa :: DatPiff/PrinxMikul Music
as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon
"Brooklyn Meets Africa" is a self-explanatory title for
Prinx Mikul (pronounced Prince Michael). He linked up with
two African producers named Envy 'The Loopdigger' and
Vez 'The Scenestar', and from there purposefully
chose artwork, guest artists and references to reflect
his project's concept. As an older head in hip-hop it
reminds me of the Afrocentric movement of the late 1980's
and early 1990's, when rappers wore dashikis and African
medallions, with songs about the universal experience of
racism in the face of a European white male hegemony.
When KRS-One and similarly minded artists said this was
the history that wasn't found in your classroom textbook
or local library (or "lie-bury, where the lies are buried")
it rang true for me. As much as I admired the movement
I never adopted the attire since I knew how much of a poser
I'd look like, and the popularity of conscious rap
quickly faded as the rougher rappers of the 1990's got
radio edited just enough for the mainstream to latch on.
Some elements of the movement have persisted though, and
the Prinx Mikul album attempts to forge a more direct link
than those who wore the clothing but knew nothing of the
African continent (something King Sun famously made fun
of on "Be Black"). I may have had some mistaken impressions
about how edutational
the album would be though. Mikul does at times acknowledge
the African influence on songs like the title track, and
not in a lip service way, but not in a way that offers new
insights or provides lessons for the listeners. There's
no sense of political struggle either in Brooklyn or
Africa - just Mikul's own personal struggle to be a success.
"In touch with my roots, Louboutin boots
Got the bottoms even redder from stompin out these flukes
Deadly like a nuke; please don't test me
But keep actin and get +Sniped+ like +Wesley+
Paid the price - shout out my dude Prezzy
And a priceless entourage, rep the God heavy
Flatbush like a dollar van headed to KP
Yeah I freestyle, still gotta pay me
cause my kids gotta eat, Brooklyn where I'm from
But love to South Africa like Mandela son"
Envy's sprinkling of pianos and drums is effective on the
song, so it's enjoyable even if it's not that profound, and
sometimes silly when it tries to be: "Rest in peace J
Dilla/that blueprint you left, we gon' follow like Twitter."
The bulk of the production is E's and you can see why Mikul
sought him out. "Things You Do" featuring Jade Rene may
be a quiet storm cliche, but Mikul channels his inner
J. Cole to make it work. "Would'a Been Gone" featuring
BB Sling channels Wiz Khalifa instead, as the tandem are
in search of "killer kush" and "munchies" to ease their
troubled minds. The most Afrocentric song may be "Ya
Beautiful," which celebrates the beauty of the Nubian goddess.
As for Vez The Scenestar, he does occasionally shine through
as a producer on tracks like the shuffling charm of "I'm a
Winner," even as Mikul distracts me from it with unintentionally
corny lines like "shitting on these niggaz like toilets" or
"+Can't Touch This+, yeah I'm on my MC Hammer." That's the
ultimate frustration of "Brooklyn Meets Africa" for me as a
listener/reviewer. Mikul's got a pleasant enough raspy New York
flow, and on occasion he reminds me of Nas, but then he says
something that makes me wince or shake my head. I also feel like
the album was an opportunity missed to say something deep,
deep, deeper than Atlantis yet it only left me wanting to dig
out my X-Clan albums.
I see the promise though. Mikul should continue down this road,
particularly collaborating with Envy, and whether his topics
are profound or personal he needs to develop his lyrics to
reach another level. This is only the beginning.
Music Vibes: 6.5 of 10
Lyric Vibes: 5 of 10TOTAL Vibes: 6 of 10
![[Brooklyn Meets Africa]](../coverart/prinx-Africa.jpg)
"Brooklyn Meets Africa" is a self-explanatory title for
Prinx Mikul (pronounced Prince Michael). He linked up with
two African producers named Envy 'The Loopdigger' and
Vez 'The Scenestar', and from there purposefully
chose artwork, guest artists and references to reflect
his project's concept. As an older head in hip-hop it
reminds me of the Afrocentric movement of the late 1980's
and early 1990's, when rappers wore dashikis and African
medallions, with songs about the universal experience of
racism in the face of a European white male hegemony.
When KRS-One and similarly minded artists said this was
the history that wasn't found in your classroom textbook
or local library (or "lie-bury, where the lies are buried")
it rang true for me. As much as I admired the movement
I never adopted the attire since I knew how much of a poser
I'd look like, and the popularity of conscious rap
quickly faded as the rougher rappers of the 1990's got
radio edited just enough for the mainstream to latch on.