Here is the 9th studio LP from Oakland, California recording artist & educator Ras Ceylon. Widely accepted for being the very first Sri Lankan emcee to emerge within the western hip hop canon by making his 1999 debut, he would later go on to join the Wu-Tang Killa Beez collective & drop 7 more full-lengths. However, he enlisted the late Oli “Power” Grant to executive producer Scrollz of Lion Rock prior to his passing with Holy Toledo Productions founder M-80 handling the A&R duties.
After the compositional “Grand Entrance (Sigriya)” intro, “Word is Bond” featuring Cappadonna & Timbo King finds the trio over a boom bap instrumental reminding the world who they are whereas “Dis.Info.Age” samples “Gazzillion Ear” by the late MF DOOM to talk about the rise of misinformation. “Ancestors” featuring Ras Kass joins forces to discuss the fearless of black people while “Buzzsaw” featuring Timbo King & 9th Prince dismantles all industry plants.
“Uprising” switches things up with a trap beat talking about how he doesn’t hide from shit leading into “Duality” featuring Timbo King produced by Mathematics reaching the halfway point with my favorite song here explaining that people either put the work in for glory or they merely don’t. “International Flex” featuring Tuff Like Iron & Yung Shanty brings everything together to go worldwide with it just before “Heart Muscle” soulfully breaks down his belief in love.
Timbo King appears once again on “Free the World” talking about fighting to win while “Land Grab” dabbled with trap again, maintaining the conscious subject matter. “River 2 Sea” featuring Solomon Childs calls for an end to the Gaza genocide & all apartheid but after “Sword Swingin’” featuring Planet Asia & Timbo King tries to see who’s pen cuts the deepest, the outro “Blessingz” featuring Prodigal Sunn ends the album advising not to take life for granted.
Built on the creative foundation of Jacket Fulla Medalz a couple years ago, Scrollz of Lion Rock elevates Ras Ceylon’s partnership with Timbo King into a fully realized long-form statement that cements him within the Wu-Tang Killa Beez lineage while highlighting his unique globally grassroots voice enlisting guests who help extended the narratives pushed. The production’s mainly rooted in the traditional boom bap sound confronting themes of power, resistance, survival & cultural memory with precision & weight.
Score: 7/10