Life is conflict, and Immortal Technique shares his with us yet again in this latest release - Revolutionary Vol.2. Born in Peru, but bred on the streets of Harlem, he has been in the eye of many storms, luckily providing us with great insights. He has the ability to personalize the problems. Whether he is rapping about his personal life, politics or a touching story, imagery he brings makes us feel it. Dance With the Devil from Revolutionary Vol.1 disturbed many minds and at the same time impressed them, establishing him as one of the best. The best got better in Revolutionary Vol.2. This album is like a mine field, full of mind blowing facts, much in need of being exposed.

"Truth in form of hip hop", as stated by Mumia Abdul Jamal in the opening of Revolutionary Vol.2, is exactly what you are getting and its evident from the first song on the album - The Point of No Return. Strong beat of the opening track sets a serious, yet classical tone to this whole album. The Point of No Return is a track full of facts yet its more than that: “i know too much the government is trying to murder me; no coming back like cutting your wrists open vertically”. Ignorance can be bliss for some but for people like Immortal Technique its no longer an option - as it wont be for you when you finish listening to this album.

Peruvian Cocaine, second track on the album, is a collaboration Immortal Technique did with Pumpkinhead, Diabolic, Tonedeff, Poison Pen, Loucipher, and CrayzWalz. Instead of writing a typical track with random self-praising verses they really put their focus together to write the story of the path that drugs take from Latin America to the streets of NY. It’s a connect-the-dots track for those who aren’t fully aware of the government conspiracies and hypocrisies in their ‘war on drugs’.

While this whole album is a must have, tracks that especially shine (aside from the two already mentioned) are Industrial Revolution, Harlem Streets, The 4th Branch, Freedom of Speech, One (remix) and You Never Know. Freedom of Speech is one of those unforgettable tracks, not only because of a dope sample used but it’s a track that makes you say ‘ thank you ‘ for all that he is saying and the fact that he didn’t sign to some deal that would have prevented him from giving us this album.

My personal favorite track on this album is Leaving the Past. There hasn’t been a day gone by since I received this album that I haven‘t listened to this track. The mellow and mature beat by SouthPaw has a way of hypnotizing and the trumpet sounds, played by DaveGuy, give the track a smooth jazz feel. After all of the painful truth, all the anger, all the comedy, comes hope in Leaving the Past. I am somewhat surprised that this was not chosen to be the last track on the album - “I made yall believe it at last, you can make the future but it starts with leaving the past.”

This album is like PBS - much needed service to the world blinded by the bling bling of capitalism. ”Capitalism and democracy aren’t synonymous”. Let us hope that those listening pay attention to the truth when its given in form of hip hop.

The intro to The Cause of Death, a sample from the movie Contact, reminded me of another quote from that same movie: “No -- no words. No words to describe it. Poetry! They should've sent a poet.” I am definitely glad that we have a poet like Immortal Technique to describe the struggle we live.

To purchase a copy of Revolutionary Vol.2 please visit: http://www.viperrecords.com