Tha God Fahim – Star Truth
Released: 15 March 2019
Tracklist
Get Rich, Give Back: 3.5/5
Monday Morning: 4/5
Shadow Stalker: 3.5/5
Imagination: 4.25/5
Imperial Dragon Lord: 3.75/5 (Wu tang vibes)
Stay Intact: 3.75/5
Johnny Bravo: 3.25/5
Many Ways ft Kungg Fuu: 2.5/5 (wtf happened here? Great production, but Kungg Fuu is not on beat. Fahim should’ve opened this track)
Window of Souls: 4.25/5
Dump Gawd Tapes: 3.75/5
TOTAL: 3.65/5
★★★1/2: Very good; a few bland songs or minor flaws throughout.
Star Truth feels like the product of a 5% Nation pupil. The uplifting messages of knowledge and encouragement that Fahim delivers throughout the album mirrors the positive notions espoused within these cultural & religious groups.
Lyrical Breakdown
Fahim is notable for his Dump mixtape series and his extensive work with Mach Hommy, known for their illustrious firearm raps. But despite Fahim’s prolific gun “Dump” raps, Star Truth is poignantly positive. Songs like “Stay Intact” and “Monday Morning” breathe hopeful, motivating messaging from the production to lyrics.
On “Stay Intact”, Fahim draws upon Nas’ ultra-positive single “I Can“: “The day that you get some dollas, the day that you’ll see/ I know I can be what I wanna be“. Fahim’s uplifting lyrics are matched by his lauded production. On songs like “Stay Intact” and “Monday Morning”, we get upbeat keys and synths. However on “Imperial Dragon Lord” and “Shadow Stalker” the dark, mysterious flutes give off RZA Wu-Tang/Shaolin-vibes, providing an interesting contrast and variety in production.
On my favorite song of the album “Imagination“, Fahim spits:
“Imagination is the key to success/
It all starts with a thought, you can’t ignore the process/
Put your thought into action and start to see progress/“
Fahim’s lyrical style is comforting, reminiscent of our 90s East Coast favorites like AZ, and you can tell he spends time penning lyrics. Often times on Star Truth, Fahim rhymes over the bar count, before quickly returning to the rhythm on-beat – perhaps the result of writing rhymes before having a beat in mind. New listeners may find this off-putting, but Fahim does it enough to where it sounds intentional and not the result of accidental bad rapping.
VERDICT
★★★1/2: Fahim manages to sneak some gun-bars between his uplifting messages (“Pop you like a champagne bottle“), but he’s still able to drive home his overlaying message of positivity and motivation in a strong way on Star Truth.
Rating Categories:
★★★★★: Best in show; pinnacle release from an all-time great artist.
★★★★1/2: Stellar example of genre; peak potential.
★★★★: Excellent; recommended to all fans of artist or genre.
★★★1/2: Very good; a few bland songs or minor flaws throughout.
★★★: Good; fans of the artist will find value here.
★★1/2: Average; does little to establish the artist or maintain quality.
★★: Unexceptional; a few highlights but otherwise bland.
★1/2: Weak; unrecommended for anyone but major fans of the style and/or artist.
★: Seriously flawed; very poor work but relatively listenable.
1/2: Terrible; a true embarrassment and akin to audio masochism.
Ed.Note: Be sure to listen to Tha God Fahim’s previous 2019 release, Soul Dust.