Album Review: Khujo - Echoes of a Legend

Khujo 

Echoes Of A Legend

***and1/2 out of *****

One of the Dirty South's original MC's newest release mixes old and new school as Khujo delivers the solid full length Echoes Of A Legend. Inviting longtime friends to help out, Khujo displays his mix of boasting and conscious rhymes with determination and fluid power. Starting off with definitions of what the albums title means, the record kicks into gear with beats based around southern blues guitar riffs as Big Mike joins for "Go Further".

Khujo works to make a difference as his positive statements and constant fighting against racism/inequality arrive on tunes like "No Powder No Makeup" (featuring Miss Dolla), closer "The Struggle" (featuring Outlawz) and "Hit Dawg" which uses stout lines like "Put in brain in your head but I can't make you think" over ominous skittering beats. These tunes all fight against the everyday societal poisoning of racism, broken families, capitalist greed and other ills.

However, Khujo also dives into his boast rhymes, proclaim his status as a legend on the strip club ready trap beat of "Out Your League" and "Don't Care Nuthin Bout It" as his main act the Goodie Mob joins him in a modern hip hop session that showcase random screams and digital quick beats.

The other dichotomy on the album is the mix between those new and old school beats. Khujo mixes up skittering trap based numbers with more demonstrative old school leanings. While a track like "Family First" amps up the speed of his rhymes and proves he can contend with the new school trap sound, he is more effective and at home with the older hip hop environments where he made his name in the 90's.

The best numbers here go over the top, such as the huge "General Patton" Big Boi influenced deep beats of "JoDaz" featuring Daz Dillinger. The song is one of a trio of banging stand out numbers with the other two also bringing in old friends, B-Real arrives to color the keyboard swooning of "Cypress Mob" and Cee-Lo provides the chorus of "Gangsta Walk" around deep bass and infectious string sections.

Mixing modern/retro, spiritual/braggadocio, Echoes Of A Legend proves that Kuhjo is just that as he works through pain and power, proving he still has a lot to say in 2020.
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