Best Rap Album of 2009: Henok Achido

Americans may not understand. The urban music industry is just a giant bandwagon, where everyone's music preferences are dictated by the gatekeepers in the mainstream media, such as bloggers, radio-jocks, and magazine writers. (Apparently no one likes to discover music anymore.) Let's take Henok, for example, (being the first DJ in America to spin this guy on radio, I think should know a little something) if Henok wasn't featured on Youheardthatnew.com, then the music tastemakers in America would be still sleeping on his music. I felt like there was a mad dash of writers (bloggers) trying to find out who this guys was, after he got featured (even though there's been people (not including myself) in the USA promoting and distributing his music and writing about him since 06 and earlier).
The bandwagon bloggers bother me because all these writers that are now writing about Henok, have had his music in their inbox for over a year! Why wait until the biggest blog in the world writes about it, check your bloody email!

Now for the music. It's not hipster, mainstream, underground, pop, grime, trendy or gangster. It's not for people that consider themselves urban. It's for people that want a change but don't want to hear another Barack Obama tribute record.

Henok's new album defies all the rules of modern hip-hop, and redefines what it means to be creative in rap music.
The production choice is extremely left field, although the producers on the album, Astma & Rocwell, Filthy, Sakis, are some of the best in the world. If you're familiar with the type of music they produce, you may start scratching your head when you start to hear this record. The beat choice is unpredictable, the lyrics and song topics can often seem random at times, yet you'll finish this album looking for more.

After releasing an underground mixtape and three mainstream singles, no one could predict an album like this. It may not win a grammis from the sometimes snooty academy but it'll definitely cause a dedicated world-wide cult following.

Henok Achido – Almaz Charming Child – Best Rap Album of 2009?

"High On Life (When The Drugs Don't Work)"
Artist: Henok Achido
Producer: Vito
Album: Almaz Charming Child
Year: 2009
Henok Achido on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/henokachido
Record Label: DLX Entertainment/Secret Society Club
Contact: thesecretsocietyclub@gmail.com