The 3rd World

AMG Review of The 3rd World

Dave Donnelly
All Music Guide

Fans of the Peruvian-born rapper have waited five long years for the third installment in Immortal Technique's iconic Revolutionary series, and by the sound of mixtape-cum-LP The 3rd World, the wait may yet go on. Though marketed as the New York MC's third solo full-length, The 3rd World is more or less a straight collaboration with longtime DJ Green Lantern, who handles most of the production and mixing on the album. Lyrically and vocally, it's more fiery and intense than his previous work -- no mean feat as his fans will attest -- directing ire at his favorite enemies: politicians, capitalism, and big business. Beginning with the post-apocalyptic opener "Death March," Technique draws parallels between the developing world and the poverty-ridden underclass in America, pointing out the irony in U.S. foreign policy effectively forcing families like his to migrate to America: "Invasion, a ramp of monetary inflation/That brought us all to the footsteps of this nation." He cleverly paraphrases Bill Clinton on the title track, noting, "they might even have a black president/But he's useless/Because he doesn't control the economy, stupid!" Yet, at 69 minutes in length, Technique's shtick wears increasingly thin as the album progresses and the frenetic pace with which he delivers his rhymes becomes tiresome, negating much of the emotional weight behind his deeply felt rhymes. By no means a bad record, fans will expect a more well-rounded affair when the third chapter in the Revolutionary story finally drops.