Rating:
  Release Date: January, 2006
  Website: Kaotik Website
  Label: Community Service

Kaotik “Poem of a Stranger” Album Review
This album, entitled “Poem of a Stranger,” came in the mail one day at work. It was sent in from Cookeville, Tennessee, a place which, according to my Internet search, is about half way between Nashville and Knoxville. Isn’t it wonderful and amazing that hip-hop is everywhere now?

I opened up the case and pulled the insert, which I always like to read before listening to an album. I think it’s important to do so in order to have an understanding of what you’re about to hear. I was intrigued to say the least, mainly because thirteen of the fifteen tracks appeared to be written, produced, mixed and mastered by this twenty-one year old Kaotik kid in his own studio.

I was also immediately impressed by the CD’s presentation. It looked pretty professionally done, a step beyond much of the unsigned artist recordings I receive. Someone had obviously invested some time and probably a little money in it. I think this is also important. I mean, I realize that starving artists are starving, but you got to make some attempt to invest in, improve and promote your product or it will never, as a marketing expert might say, “break through the clutter.” I threw the disk in my computer, and was again impressed by the production quality I heard in first couple tracks. It was clean, crisp and clear, traits not often found on underground recordings.

After a couple songs, a co-worker looked over and laughed . “What are you listening to, dude? That rapper sounds funny.” And I couldn’t necessarily disagree. Kaotik has this deep southern melodic sing-rap type of flow that is very unique, a pleasantly distinguishable style that sounds unlike any other rappers I’ve heard. “And what’s up with those Jesus-freak lyrics, dude? What is he trying to convert me or something?” Couldn’t really disagree with that one either. Kaotik, being from the Southern Baptist capital of the world, did appear to be preaching quite a bit already.

Hip-Hop Worldviews
As I listened to the remainder of the album, I realized that I disagreed with a lot of what Kaotik had to say. Although I appreciate his faith, I don’t agree with some of his attempts to push it to the listener using the fire and brimstone descriptions of hell and damnation as fear techniques. I find statements such as “hell is hot and there’s plenty of room” or “you’re going to get a big surprise when you die” a fry cry from Christ’s teachings of love, understanding and acceptance.

Although I appreciate Kaotik’s social stances, I don’t agree with his views on abortion or homosexuality. While I have no need to take either a pro-life or pro-choice stance in this situation, I don’t believe that we should choose our leaders based on their personal stances on abortion. I see that as more of a judicial issue that conservatives use to blind the public of the real issues and stir up commotion among the Christian Right. As for homosexuality, it doesn’t really make sense to me to quote Dr. King’s dream on one track while challenging the right to gay marriage on another track. How can someone support one kind of civil rights while rejecting another?

And although I appreciate Kaotik’s political dialogue, I don’t necessarily agree with his views on the war in Iraq or on several politicians. Statements such as “it’s hard for me to help those who hate me” make me think not only that Americans have yet to question exactly why the Middle East hates us, a practice that could help people realize the disastrous effects our foreign policy has had on the region, but also that the majority of this country still believes that Bush and his cronies actually give a damn about helping those people. In addition, Kaotik’s point of view on the Bush/Kerry political campaign makes me think that the dirty political marketing of the last election somehow did successfully switch the candidates’ roles in the eyes of the public. Although I don’t like Kerry much either, I don’t think it’s fair to call him unpatriotic compared to Bush. After all, it was Kerry who fought in an American war, and Bush who was the hypocrite draft dodger. Sporting a flag doesn’t necessarily make you a patriot.

I was confused, maybe even a little angered, at the views represented on the album. I downloaded it onto my iPod and didn’t listen to it for a couple days. I had no plans to bump it again or write a review. However, over that time period, I found myself thinking about Kaotik and the things he was saying. So I decided to play it through again. Something about the music was uniquely intriguing to me.

The beats are of a southern hardcore flavor, with sounds reminiscent of artists from Dre and Pac to Master P and Trick Daddy. In fact, I’d probably consider the production somewhat gangster rap-ish if it wasn’t laced with so many religious, social and political lyrics. Kaotik’s flow is unique and catchy, and his soft, deep voice often sounds tranquil and peaceful, kind of preacher-ish even, when he borders between rapping and singing. And despite the fact that Kaotik’s views are quite different from mine, I had to give it to the kid for voicing his opinion on several important social and political issues. Although I couldn’t really explain why at the time, the disk didn’t leave my CD player for a week. I just couldn’t stop listening to it.

Dialogue in Hip-Hop
The more I listened to “Poem of a Stranger,” the more sense it made to me. As I came to learn Kaotik’s past stories, his interpretation of the Bible and his understanding of historical events, I started to appreciate why he says what he says, and thinks what he thinks. The album contains a lot of good songs in which Kaotik demonstrates amazing introspective thought and self-analysis in his path to understand the world around him. In fact, the views represented on this album made me think a lot, and hopefully helped me to come to a better understanding of people who think differently than I do. It is immensely important for all of us to attempt to understand different people. I truly believe that hip-hop holds that type of possibility, and Kaotik helped me realize that. WORD.

I’ve always preached that hip-hop could be utilized more as a medium for philosophical thought, discussion and the sharing of views and opinions. However, I’ve simultaneously always rejected hip-hop that I don’t agree with lyrically. I almost didn’t even pick up this album for a second go around. But after listening to Kaotik’s “Poem of a Stranger” a couple times, I realized that it these actions were hypocritical. I talk all this talk about hip-hop and its ability to give the people a voice of their own, then turn around and hate on an album that displays views different than mine. And that’s not right.

Dialogue should always be seen as good, no matter which stance you take. Kaotik is using hip-hop to do his preaching, and the music he is producing is good . dope beats and introspective lyrics. He is trying to use his gifts to do good, while other rappers are just trying to get rich. And at such a young age, I think we can expect to see great things from Kaotik in the future. I know I will be watching his career with much interest. Whether or not you agree with his subject matter, the kid’s got skills and deserves to be heard, so pick up his new album. Check out some of my favorite verses below.

You can purchase “Poem of a Stranger” or listen to many of the tracks on the new album at Kaotik’s website, http://www.myspace.com/kaotik4life.

Prologue
There once was a man with a pen and a notepad
Where you gonna find him? Nobody knows
An angel on his left and a demon on his right and
He never could choose. Which way did he go?

America’s sure dying fast
I got like ten friends over in Iraq back
And none have lived and we lost what 3000 more
Take that off of dead marines, we got the high score
Chill to the core
Praying the tsunamis hit Hollywood
When too much madness built up
It’s war
And I ain’t talking about a battle we could win
When God gets mad there isn’t opposition

A little kid grabs his mama’s bag of groceries
They live about a block away so he’s walking
Now he’s about nine, ten
Just a little kid, got a few friends
And thinks he’s Superman
So he walks out; it’s a routine
He does his chore line, it’s a daily thing
His mama dreams that her boy’s going to be better than his daddy
He wanted to stay home today but she wouldn’t let him, nah
Boom. Just like that there’s a bullet in his head
A local gang fills his body with hot lead
Retaliating cause his pops owed them money
But all this boy here knows is that his body’s burning
He feels a serum pain in his head in his chest
Struggling for breath till he sees death
The police call his parents and they tell ‘em what I told you
And for a moment the daddy wonders if they had his groceries

Disciple
This right here is the realest shit that I have ever spoke
I’m the disciple in this time, in this time, in this time

Take notes here’s my plan
My voice will be heard through the land
Every woman and man
Will hear my pen
As it moves across the paper
Spread news about the savior
Cause at any second
Death could takes us; I’m waiting
On the rapture, I know you’ve heard of it
The world is turned ugly
So I know that we deserve something
For our times of wrongdoings
It’s too confusing

Teens wanna be adults so much
That’s why they like to fuck, do drugs and get drunk
That’s why these little girls getting pregnant
And if they don’t woo the crowd, they turn lesbian
I never thought I’d see the day
When gays could get married
It’s not Bush or Osama, it’s the whole planet
We have gone way too far for far too long
We see the shit on TV so help me write this song
It’s kinda like witnessing a murder
At least once a day, it’s not unheard of
It used to be unusual to see a women loose her purse
We evolved, slaked off, I don’t even go to church
Like I used to; at least I’m praying every day
Thanking God for the day and to help a soul to save
I keep faith in the weak brain
For all of ya’ll lost, you’re in my prayers man

Just Me
Man I tell you what you get is what you see
In this land where everybody’s breaking free
Is it really change, change for you and me?
Or is it just me? Is it just me?

I’m real gifted, do you believe that?
I’m not talking about my music, I mean I lead man
I don’t follow, I say what’s on my mind
Don’t bother with dumb shit, cause what I own is mine
That goes for my opinions, my beliefs
This toboggan and these blue jeans
Who is me? Well let me tell ya
I figured that I’d at least throw you that much
I like to smoke weed but reject the fat drugs
And it’s my problem, and the blame is on me
I’m way past the age of accountability
I’m severing, damn b, demons just surround me
But don’t call me careless cause I’d die for my family
But I’m not patriotic, far from it
I love my country but I’d never join the army
Because this war across seas is a mystery you see
It’s hard for me to help those who hate me

Now is it just me, or has New York changed?
Box cutters do more damage than nukes, man
It’s a shame, there were people in them buildings
Jumping out of windows, reflective to the ceiling
What ya’ll feeling?
Now that I’m talking about the subject
Rappers seem to only focus on making club hits
Damn. Where the hell’s the heart, seems like it stopped
Whenever Pac left hip-hop . oops I forgot
We’re supposed to only spit vulgarity and fight
It’s barely right, please forgive if I’m not the stereotype
If I never sign a big deal, it’s alright
As long as you let this knowledge reach your mind
I feel blessed; God has given me a vision
I’m honored that he chose me to do some preaching
I’m aiming for the whole world to be mad at me
I’m waking them up in this calamity

Can You See Him
Let’s just say you had five minutes left
That’s all you had to live till you close your eyelids
And you pass
Say goodbye to mom and dad or your wife and your kids
Everyone you have
Where would you end up?
Would you see the father in the sun or the demon in the dust?
Would you be shouting praise or be shouting screams?
Would you be dragged off or welcomed in the gates?
Would you walk the streets made of gold?
Or be falling on hot coals?
Would you be feeling pain or feeling pain no more?
Would you see the light or be feeling sacrificed?
Walk beside the life or behind the antichrist?
Take the time to make it right
And find Christ in your life
Because I talked to a lot of people wishing in the best but
What I’d really like to see is to see them up in heaven

I don’t have to see him to believe in him
I just know he’s there; he’s the reason why I’m living
I may be sinning but I seek forgiveness
Dripping sweat and spit just so ya’ll see I mean it
I could be dreaming but I’ll take back
What I said in the past
The world ain’t hopeless we just need to walk the path
That he’s chose for us
Open up the door won’t ya
What you misinformed of?
God has got it for ya
Imagine . no more crying, no more dying
No more bullets flying
No more buying
Pills to make you higher; no more relying
On money to get you by
Is that death in your eyes?
Then accept Christ

A different way of living, that’s what these people looking for
Bills stack up and money’s what you wanting more of
One of my best buds does drugs
Been doing it for years now he’s stuck
Between a rock and a hard knock
You can look at him and tell that he’s part God
He said that car wasn’t gonna hurt him
But I see him now ten times worse looking
I don’t know the person that he’s turned into
This ain’t the same dude that I knew in high school
There seems to only be a few ways out of a situation like that, one is death
The other is to accept the Son of Man in your heart and repent
All your sins, I think it’s evident
That the baby born in Bethlehem was heaven sent
Now I look back at my friend, and all that he once was
Let go of them drugs and find Jesus

Bring Down
I’m still real young but I done seen enough trash
Writing all my thoughts cause I feel like I won’t last
Then death is right around my corner; then I pray hard
Believe me when I say that I thank God
For all that he’s done for me
My mama loves her children but she could have had abortions
That’d mean that she only had a husband
They’d probably get divorced cause she couldn’t put up with
All those little things that he did back then
It takes a lot more than age to be a grown man I wonder
How can I come from under?
Here’s my hunch is
They gonna hold me down till they feel my punches

Murderer
Who the fuck could this little clown be?
People get upset when they see you frowning
Like how could you have something to be sad about?
You ain’t in a wheelchair and you got a house
You got a mouth and a nose and a bowl
That you pour your cereal into
You wake up to the morning dew
What’s left of it
No American should ever diss our president
And if he does, hang him by his neck bitch
Let’s make this bitch march through the swamps
Fuck Bush, hell nah, fuck mosh
I doubt you should ever vote for a man that be pulling for abortion
Let the gas prices raise, and I’ll still vote for him
And I put it to him, fuck all these atheists and the shit you doing
Lie, taking the Ten Commandments out of Alabama
That’s right I said it so go quote me damn it
Just say it quick, son of a bitch

Bad Day
Just one simple smile
That’s all I wanna do dog, that’s all I wanna have
I’m reaching for the sky, snatching anything I can
You’re mixing up my words, twisting everything I say
Sky’s getting dark so I know I’ll have a bad day

These words that I spit are so insightful
Seems like luck is only with them rich kids at your high school
You see I understand how you’re feeling man
I used to sit up at the stands acting like I gave a damn
Trying to fit in with those dick heads; I was mislead
Trying to be something that I’m not, but that shit’s dead
Now I’m different
Now I’m just myself around these bitches
Cause I don’t need no help getting women
But I choose not to
I want to stay right in the spot dude
I’ve boxed through
So don’t call me white cause nowadays I’ll pop you

Learn From It
I have lost thirteen friends since I was a teenager
Heaven must be major packed with some cool cats
Have you ever stopped to wonder about the wonders?
Who does God favor and who is in his corner?
I wish I would have known what would’ve happened that day
I was being careless in the 94 Mustang
Going way to fast down a path
Yo it’s bothering Sam
Get out the car, I’m so sorry
Screaming out vulgarities but thinking all apologies
I’d never do you harm and I’d never hurt nobody
Especially to the person that I’ve grown with
Who is always with ya
I’d never hurt my little sister
I guess I’ll never know
I guess I’ll have to learn from it

I wish that I was taller
I wish that I was famous
I wish I would’ve called her
I wish she wouldn’t hang up
I wish that I was in school instead of being that dude
That’s looking at his nephew like I wish I could trade places with you
I wish I had a good job that I really liked
To hold me over until I get a deal, that’s right, that’s right

Burn It
The truth ain’t heard as it should be
Burn it in the minds while your kids sleep
Say it real proud, listen in your head
I’m gonna keep preaching till I see death

Everybody in the world is confused
It’s not just you, you or you, it’s me too
I’m feeling pretty bad right now I got a guilt trip
Disease don’t hide while you feel sick
America’s lost
Rich people’d live better if they saw God
I’m living in an age where the television
Is the father of so many children . now listen
Atheists are wrong, so is Church of Christ
Why did Christ die if water saves lives?
Look into these eyes; I ain’t telling lies
That thief on the cross was never baptized
He still got saved, seen paradise
Because he put his faith in the hands of Christ
That’s all you need, that’s all you’ll ever need
Man, the water’s all gone when your body’s ceased

Too much conflict will make your body rot
The Ku Klux Klan is full of morons
It’s no wonder that the South has a bad name
Our loudest voices have a half brain
I’m against wrong doings and constant slacking
I don’t hate gays, just their actions
Go faster, seat belts fastened
Most people don’t pray till their faith is shattered
Mrs. O’Hare didn’t know what she did to the kids
All of her views were total fiction
She took prayer out of schools, she couldn’t reach up
Now she’s dead and her son is a preacher
Teaching people that God is better than evil
If kids don’t know, then teach them
There was a baby born a long time ago
His name was Jesus and he saved my soul

What would you do if you seen God?
I ain’t talking about today, I mean tomorrow
How would you spend that last day?
Would you live the same or go and get saved?
I’m sick of my sins man
I wanna do the right thing but I do my thing
I’m tired of the fighting, tired of the lying
Looking for the truth but I’m blinded
My sins can’t be measured rejecting the precious
Giving into peer pressure, a constant push on my conscious
Driven from the knowledge that my God will take me from this
Something’s gotta cut loose like the noose
That ya’ll gonna put around my neck for telling you the truth
I’ll be abused if you choose
Hell is real hot and there’s plenty of room

I DID Love You
Just last night
I found one of those letters that you would write
I read it twice talking about your life
Venting, how your day went then
You would ask me about mine scribbling
I heart you all over the back sheet
Really can’t wait till I see you after class B
We was happy, dancing most times to no music
Get in baby, I’ll take you to the movies
You and me, we was gonna make it through
You’d whisper you love me, baby I love you too
Sometimes we look up at the night sky talking
That’s all we had to do, it’s a love thing
God it’s such a good thing, you’re so bad
Irene just broke what we once shared . damn

Careless
I’d probably get discouraged if I had another worry
On my mind, all the smiling faces make me feel fine
The blunt made me high, even off balance
Feeling like a free bird while I’m rapping
I’m casting little Voodoo shakes on the kids today, hey
Put that glock down, how you set your fate
Take what you’ve learned from me, put it to good use
Don’t worry if their skin color’s different from you
I got these church goers looking at me, got a grudge
I know a lot of phony Christians; it’s not for me to judge
Too many bad decisions got me fucked up
If I live my life right, then ya’ll won’t buy my stuff
Puff puff, now I lay back
99 percent of these rappers don’t rap
They make cash stacks up on stacks
They don’t see the value
It’s when you get too big that you crush the things around you
When I was a kid, I couldn’t see the bad stuff
Far from luxurious, but best believe we had stuff
Not the best life, but that’s your opinion
A big part of cash don’t mean shit to children
All it takes for them is a toy and a smile
They don’t worry about possessions till the turn buck wild
That’s why they see their mama always crying
Mad at the universe because her baby’s wild

Now is it naive for me to think that I can change the world when I sing?
Anything when you put your mind to it can happen
I promise and this ain’t no storybook time with Mr. Rogers
I’m being serious just don’t dig a hole so deep that you can’t crawl out of
Everybody thinks that I’m crazy when I tell them about what I’m planning on doing
In the world pursuing my dreams and the people think I’m foolish
Trying to make music that ya’ll feel to
Fuck the money, fuck the cars, I’m being real dude

Me and you; what’s the difference between the two?
It’s that I don’t give a damn, and you do
Not your problem
I actually got a spirit and you’re just Abercrombie
You’re like a zombie
Going where the dumb fools take you
Who’d have knew that it would be so damn easy to be fake dude
You’ll just keep drifting, spending your whole life snickering
At people like me cause we’re different

Epilogue
I don’t support Bush, especially not now
He stayed on vacation and he watched them kids drown
I’m not a rich man, but I handle gas prices
I’m no Republican, but I did like him
When he voted against abortion
The death of these babies is wrong but Kerry’s still for ‘em
I’m about morals and his was all wrong
He went from burning flags to trying to be the boss
Of the country that the rest of the world hates
A place where any person, any race can have a chance I think
But I haven’t seen it yet
I could walk outside and pick out thirty rednecks
That hate every man, Jew, Asian, Black
And they’re trying to raise their kids to think that
Whites are supreme; Martin Luther King had a dream
But apparently these hillbillies don’t sleep