Blackman Akeeb Rakeem
Hot Casa Rec. Blackman Akeeb Rakeem
aka The Hunters Beat King : Tomorrow -LP- (NI,1974,re.2011)****'
Blackman Akeeb Rakeem has recorded and produced numerous albums over the years, and still seems to be completely involved with music, with a certain message towards religious people today. Back in 1974 he recorded this exceptional album, a mixture of soulful afro-rock with psychedelic and funky edges. It’s song led music with some call and responses, a beautiful complexity in rhythms, some groovy afro-rock and a few times more psychedelic rock styled wah-wah guitars or some funky guitar accents, psychedelic organ parts or just some melodic organ accents or Moog-like additions, especially on the last two tracks, and a few funkier brass accents and grooves. Some songs are in English, from others I can’t figure out the origin of the lyrics. The different layers of interactive rhythms are from a high quality that can only be found on the best working African examples, and this is one. While the singer leads, some voice respond, the rhythmic swing coming from inside is often incredible. Just one or two tracks are calmer and more repetitive, still moody into the song groove. On “White Horse” and the track after this we hear more psychedelic guitar and some strange electronic sounds, unclear from which keyboard instrument this comes from. A qualitative and successful album.
