KKKill the Fetus

iTunes Review

For his 1993 horrorcore opus KKKill the Fetus, Esham explored the farthest reaches of a deranged consciousness. The album is absolutely immersed in themes that would scare even the boldest street rappers: abortion, suicide, psychosis, and murder for sport. Esham wanted to do for hip-hop what Slayer did for hard rock, and like Slayer, he alienated many people but won a fervent cult following. Regardless of how you feel about its extreme subject matter, KKKill the Fetus is as sonically audacious as any rap album released in 1993. Esham uses distortion, echo, and dissonance to create beats that set the scene for his lurid rhymes, like a great cinematographer setting the tone for a movie. “Symptoms of Insanity,” “Headache / Wet Day Dreamer.” “KKKill the Fetus” and “My Mind’s Blowin’ Up” show Esham’s penchant for heavy rock music, but like his spiritual forebears (and fellow Detroiters) Funkadelic, his songs are always rooted in funk. Simply put, “Voices In My Head,” “Jackie” and “My Understanding Is Zero” are some of the dankest, heaviest, funkiest rap tunes you’ll ever hear.