Luck-One’s new release, Curse Of The Pharaoh, dropped last night at midnight Eastern time. With 20 tracks total, the tape is the longest Luck has released. In an interview with Missy B, Luck describes the vibe of the tape as “Intelligent Street Music. A broad spectrum of lyrical content and musical soundscapes.” This does an excellent job of describing both the tracks themselves and the expertly crafted poetry Luck-One puts into every song.
According to the artist’s website, Curse Of The Pharaoh has been in production for over two years, and has been narrowed down to 20 final tracks from a daunting number of over 100. Luck’s selectiveness becomes apparent as the release plays through beautifully and as one cohesive unit. From upbeat and grooving tracks like “Wash it Away,” to the mellower and more simply composed “Swear II God,” the tape retains a distinct and characteristic Luck-One feel.
Luck has never been one to shy from controversy. This shines through in tracks like “Philosophy,” where Luck states “a grown man, I am not impressed by your twitter chatter…and music made about social issues that didn’t matter.” Lucks honest discussion of racial, religious, and social issues has long set him apart in the Portland scene, and this tape is certainly not devoid of this content.
Another special characteristic of this project is the vast number of collaborations. With features from Northwest artists such as Sam Lachow, Tope, Grynch, J Burns, and Rey Totem, Luck manages to bring together a huge selection of local artists into one project. With tracks produced by Shenequa, Samarei, Goodwill, Dead Giveaway, and many others, the production only adds to the fantastic collaborative element of this release.
This is Luck-One’s first release since relocating to New York in late 2013. He dubbed the tape “King Of The Northwest II,” still repping Portland despite his scenery change. Make sure to support Luck as he pushes his brand on the East Coast, and check out “Curse Of The Pharaoh,” available for download below.
