Artists: CunninLynguists

The name says it all… However, these Kentucky boys (Deacon the Villain & Natti [since 2004]) aren’t just wicked with the tongue; they also have one of the finest producers in the land (Kno) supplying the backdrop for their “Stunning English”.

Above: Kno & Deacon the Villain

Their first album release Will Rap For Food came out in 2001 (just Deacon & Kno) and is without a doubt an underground classic. Deacon does most of the rapping on the album with Kno kicking in some raps on many of the songs as well as providing all the beats except for just one track. Their songs Fuckinwichu and Thugged Out Since Cub Scouts are great examples of how these guys like to play with humor by embracing sarcasm and satire, and the song Halfanimal is an awesome showing of wordplay and puns by Deacon. The track Lynguistics is one of the best on the album, with an upbeat track that uses a classical violin sample as the backdrop for a back and forth rap between Deacon & Kno. And on a more somber note, the song Mic Like A Memory is a tale of hardships over a lonely-sounding horn sample. All in all, these songs and all the others make the album a stellar debut to their then just budding career.

In 2003, the CunninLynguists came back for another round with Southernunderground, their follow-up album that added another rapper to the group, Mr. SOS. And once again the 'Lynguists repeated their formula for success while tweaking their sound to feel a little bit more mature. Songs such as Seasons and Old School are reflections on hip hop’s past (while humorously fabricated in Old School) while the last 3 tracks Appreciation (Remix), Dying Nation, & War are politically charged songs dealing with Bush and the September 11th attacks. And my favorite songs on the album Southernunderground, The South, & Nasty Filthy give you a feeling only extremely pure hip hop can, like the “that’s what hip hop is supposed to sound like” feeling. Download these two albums that I’m posting and listen to them…again…and again…forever.

CunninLynguists – Will Rap For Food (2001)
CunninLynguists – Southernunderground (2003)

"Don't worry bout this dirty south, 'til its mud floods ya front stoop..."
 
Note: This song is not on the two albums above. I'm posting this one because they don't have many videos.

P.S. The CunninLynguists have released a whole slew of albums and mixtapes since. This was just an introduction to them. If you like what you hear, I'll review the rest of their albums.