WHAKAOHO 003: Cormega - The Realness (2001)

 

WHAKAOHO 003

Cormega - The Realness (2001)

Cormega was off my radar for a long time. When I was younger and I leapt head first into 90s Hip-Hop, I was needlessly strict and ignored most albums released past 2000 for a long time. This is a great great album. It is calm and poetic and makes no excuses for being underground. In this album he makes it crystal clear who his music and life is dedicated to.  The sound is tight and focussed, the production, the rhymes, it all moves forwards at a steady pace. Production credits on this album include Havoc, J-Love, and The Alchemist. 

I first listened to this album while cleaning my kitchen and found it really sat in my head along with the mood of that day. It was a cloudy day, and doing an aimless task tends to let my brain soak everything in a lot more. It was melancholy, this album lives up to its title, it does not shy away from sad stories and lyrics about people Cormega has lost. 

"Thun and Kicko" feat. Prodigy is a Nas diss track, and I had no idea until I actually went out of my way to look it up. Happy to find out through research that they had all made up eventually, especially before Prodigy's death (RIP). Also a great track on this album is "Fallen Soldiers" with its iconic bass line. I would say this album is definitely worth a listen, as too many of these kinds of releases tend to be left behind when it comes to recommendations from other people. I wish I had come across it sooner.

- R

"I treasure our memories together, hard to believe

I'ma never see you again, but i'ma make you breathe with the pen"

Favourite songs:

"Fallen Soldiers"

"Thun and Kicko"

"Rap's a Hustle"

Listen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOtBcjPRH8A