Columbia, Maryland emcee/producer KAAN remains consistent as he releases his 25th album. Over the past decade or so, Knowledge Above All Nonsense has delivered numerous hits to their ever-growing discography, including Black bloodthe Ski Beatz production Requiem for a Dream Deferredproduced by Big Ghost Ltd All praise is due, Mission Hills, The death of a rapper & The Nightly News Both are produced by former Strange Music producer MIKE SUMMERS aka Seven or still Peace of mind from just a few months ago. However, wanting to keep the pressure on, Los Angeles producer/deejay DJ Hoppa comes to produce Delusions of grandeur.
Sick boom bap opener “Can't Help It” confesses to kidnapping other rappers just for the fun of it, while “Insane” works flute over kicks and snares admitting to having conversations with the voices in his head quite a bit. 'Nightmare' takes a darker route by organically taking a different path and builds to last, but then 'What can I say?' he pulverizes his process by breaking the rhythm and digestion after everyone else has run out of time.
“The Crown” keeps things in the boom bap wheelhouse, warning not to look down if you're afraid of heights, while the instrumentally dusty “Dark Night” finds him losing his own cool game by his own rules and being anti-social . “The Plot Thickens” has some jazzy undertones in the instrumental talking about crap that doesn't concern him and moves with a sense of urgency as if it's an emergency, but then “Got One” shifts into trap territory to do so.
Kicking off the final leg of the album, “Countdown” returns to boom bap dancing with its demons at noon, while “Destiny” brings back a vintage sample over kicks and snares to talk about war. The title track advises that what doesn't break you makes you stronger and uses his own experience of dark days to get his point across, that is until “Kiss the Ring” concludes the album by explaining this mess that they makes them rise.
KAAN has definitely been on a ROLL with the performance we have been getting from him throughout these last 6 months & Delusions of grandeur this momentum continues long. DJ Hoppa's production is mainly based on the traditional boom bap sound as opposed to Peace of mind in February balancing that with trap & the Maryland emcee bringing more of a hardcore tone lyrically.
Rating: 9/10