Friday, May 27, 2016

Lokee - I Got Dis

Kenyatta Ruth, better known as Lokee, is a rapper and producer who represents from the notorious 9th Ward of New Orleans, LA. He first started off battle rapping in the early nineties at his local high school. After destroying the competition, he realized he was actually pretty talented and could really do this for a living. He began ghost writing for many different rappers in the city and quickly earned the moniker, Space Ghost. His most famous ghost writing stint was with the group known as Full Pack. He penned the lyrics for their hit single "I Like To #@*¤!" which eventually led Full Pack to signing a deal with an emerging record label. It wasn't long before Lokee would come under the scrutinizing eye of Elton Wicker Jr. Amazed by what he heard, he quickly signed Lokee to his up and coming label known as Tombstone Records. I Got Dis is Lokee's debut EP and it was released in 1995 on the aforementioned label. The record is produced by the legendary, Merrill "Real Roc" Robinson and Lokee, himself. The beats are filled with dark synths, woozy bass lines and are topped off with some intoxicating drums. This mixture is used throughout the whole album and its certainly the right fit. It also sets the entire mood at a very grim and gloomy level. This set up is perfect for Lokee, who is no ordinary lyricist. His unorthodox flow pattern and his superb vocabulary go hand in hand. His rhymes are delivered at a variable rate and the tone is quite rough as well. Word play is used as the key ingredient and it is definitely unique to say the least. The EP rounds out at a total of nine tracks, all of which are equally likable. Overall this was a wonderful debut effort by Lokee and it certainly shows his lyrical and musical prowess. He had some minor success with this release but it was his second release, "Voodoo Gangsta Funk," that really put him on notice. Sadly all of this success would come to an abrupt end when the president of Tombstone Records, Elton Wicker Jr., was killed in a drive-by shooting in the year 1998. He was only thirty two years old. This would end Lokee's tenure at Tombstone Records due to the label folding and he would soon find himself on the indie route. It was around this time when he was also recruited into the Disturbed Young Hustlaz. In 2001, Lokee was convicted of some serious offenses and was sentenced to ten years in prison. He was released in the year 2011 and is now trying to establish himself again in the Rap industry.

Deadly Verses
Just - A - Fied


Album Notes
* Rest in peace to the ingenious, Elton Wicker Jr.
* Lokee is a member of the Disturbed Young Hustlaz.

2 comments:

gentillyboy said...

He's not from the 7th Ward. He's from the 9th New Orleans East.

QDawg said...

Duly noted, thanks for the correction.