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  Release Date: December, 2006
  Website: Intellekt & Dirty Digits Website
  Label: ArcTheFinger Records

Intellekt & Dirty Digits “Intellektual Property” Album Review
I’m one of those perfectionist cats yo. Shit, why you think my website is so fresh and so clean homie? I remember in third grade when we started using pens instead of pencils, I would write all my homework in pencil, then trace it over in pen so that I wouldn’t make any non-erasable mistakes. My third grade teacher thought I had attention-deficit disorder.

In high school, I would throw a tantrum if I got less than an A grade in anything. My basketball coach thought I had obsessive-compulsive disorder. Nowadays, I won’t be able to sleep if my CDs aren’t all alphabetically stacked at perfect ninety-degree angles on top of my entertainment center. And my girl just thinks I’m plain crazy for that.

But one cool thing about being a perfectionist is that you are given some communicative type of ability to recognize other cats that have the same problem. It’s kinda like people who claim they have gaydar . that they can just look at a person and tell whether they’re gay or straight. Yeah, I got that for perfectionists. That’s why almost immediately upon throwing in Intellekt & Dirty Digits’ “Intellektual Property,” I could tell that this lyricist/ turntablist duo are some crazy perfectionists just like me.

If I had to pick out just one word to describe this album, it would be “precise.” Both Intellekt’s lyrics and Dirty Digits’ turntablist-rich production were precise, and demonstrated a strong attention to detail and seeming quest for perfection. I can only imagine how much time was put in to create this album. In addition, Intellekt and Dirty Digits as a group are very Eyedea-and-Abilities-ish to me. Not only because of the mastery of their respective arts of lyricism and turntablism, but also because IDD are one of the few duos I’ve heard other than E&A who intertwine their skills so successfully.

Nonverbal Communication in Hip-Hop
Many tracks on “Intellektual Property” feature somewhat of a back-and-forth between emcee and deejay, where the two seem to actually be holding a conversation using Intellekt’s rhymes, analogies or points and Dirty Digits’ mixes, scratches or samples. The album gives great examples of how an emcee can speak with his words, how a deejay can speak with his hands, and how the two can communicate and make a point together.

I’ve always seen hip-hop as a form of communication, at least when used correctly. It gives anyone a forum to speak their minds through music and poetry. However, I occasionally forget that not all communication is verbal. In fact, studies suggest that over 90% of the meaning we derive from communication is based on nonverbal types of communicating. That’s why your girl knows you’re lying when you say she looks good in those jeans without being able to look her in the eyes. That nonverbal cue can mean more than the words coming out of your mouth.

Therefore, it would seem that the best method of communication would involve proper verbal and nonverbal techniques used in conjunction. And perhaps the best method of long-term success in hip-hop would involve dope lyrical and turntablist techniques used in conjunction. This is what Intellekt and Dirty Digits do with their music, and the partnership has succeeded in producing one of my top ten underground releases of the year, “Intellektual Property.” I highly recommend checking it out. Peace.