If East Coast hip-hop melded into modern boom-bap production is something you look for from artists with flow and heart, then you have to hear the latest album produced by Leedz Edutainment, Hard to Learn. An album that’s taken years in the making, it pulls from musical pioneers in decades past, as well as a lifetime of learning life’s hard lessons. Over the incredibly clear and thumping beats are the talented voices of the hip-hop scene making waves and putting respect on the curation that Leedz Edutainment brings to the music scene.
As executive producer of the album, Leedz curates a heartfelt record with signature, effortless flows of rappers like XL the Beast, Murs, Sadat X, Ill Bill, Q-Unique, Napoleon Da Legend, Akrobatik, Reef the Lost Cauze, and Blueprint throughout the entire album, especially on the signature track “Hard to Learn.” From the jump, this is the kind of rap that’s been turning heads since the 90s, but this time through the eyes of a rough-and-tumble artist fighting to survive in a world all these years later. A mark of wisdom and homage to hip-hop artists who have come before them, the titular track is a lament on the sacrifices of life and making the time count without hesitation.
“Life lessons hard to learn
And Gang Starr told you this shit hard to earn
Cause once you get over them bridges start to burn
The game moves swift, you already lost your turn”
With shoutouts to everyday witnesses and the working class, and a callback to hip-hop legends like Gang Starr, Leedz’s curatorial work doesn’t shine alone on this modern achievement in rap. The title track features rappers that cut to the bone with Torae, Skyzoo, and Reks, as they add to the tapestry of the album’s overall themes through each song, touching on the working man that’s marred by the battles of blue-collar life, loss, perseverance, recovery, and ultimately acceptance.
Also noteworthy of high praise from this record alongside the title track of “Hard to Learn” are hands down “Penniless Kings (feat. XL the Beast [prod. by The Arcitype and cuts by DJ Slipwax]),” “No Surprise,” “Walk Among What Remains,” and “Battle Tested.”
The insanely smooth production from The Arcitype and executive production from Leedz Edutainment on this release has advanced his mission to “create authentic art, elevate independent voices, and leave the culture stronger than he found it.” Mission accomplished with every track, man. Not a hip-hop release anyone should miss.
The entire album features collaborations with artists including Murs, Sadat X, Ill Bill, Q-Unique, Napoleon Da Legend, Akrobatik, Reef the Lost Cauze, Blueprint, XL the Beast, and others you should listen to. This is art courtesy of an intentional community that should hold their heads high and proud, self-evident testaments of their dedication to the craft.
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Written by Samson Winsor
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