Ka’s newest album adds another pillar to the coliseum that is his discography.
After being available in August on limited edition vinyl pressings, The Thief Next To Jesus has finally made its way to streaming services.
Ka’s ability to blend his samples and lyrics is masterful, with him being able to rap partially unfinished bars that are then finished by the sample. In the song “Beautiful,” Ka raps “Can end quick/treasure friendship/’cause it’s …” and then he samples the word “beautiful.” That sampled final word is used in nearly every other bar in his two verses and the chorus.
As the closest thing rap has to a philosopher, Ka has always brought heavy religious and historical themes in his music, with previous albums being titled Descendants of Cain, Honor Killed The Samurai, Orpheus vs. The Sirens. The latest edition is The Thief Next to Jesus. Even his song titles make clear his questioning spirit: “True Holy Water,” “Bread, Wine, Body, Blood,” “Soul and Spirit,” “Lord have Mercy,” and “God Undefeated.”
Often described as belonging to the upper echelon of hip hop production, Ka’s shows he has “golden ears” through his sample selection. Utilizing soul, gospel, and folk, he molds the samples together into this perfect piece of music.
The best sample on the album comes on “Broken Rose Window,” which begins with a sample describing a church in New York that helped with the underground railroad. Then Ka combines a Jimi Hendrix-esque guitar riff with a soul song to make a truly unique sound. Ka effortlessly raps over that, describing the destructive system of poverty and how he believes that the government does nothing to help those in poverty, instead keeping them in the cycle.
Ka’s music can be best described as the fanciest and most educated form of hip-hop, as his music entirely revolves around his interpretations of literature, religion, and history – and how they relate to his life. Then Ka’s flow and annunciation of words act as the icing on the cake, since his almost lisping form of speech, his strong New York accent, and his aged voice match his beats perfectly.
