His incredibly militant and unrelenting lyrics have earned him the nickname “The Black Panther of Hip Hop,” and at one point he seemed to have the opportunity to be accepted into the mainstream of Hip Hop. Unfortunately that meant a compromise of his vision and lyrical content as his label felt he would upset people and create unwanted controversy. So when Paris refused to change lyrics on his second album, 1992’s Sleeping With The Enemy, which included a song called “Bush Killa” depicting a fantasy of killing the then president, his label, the now defunct Tommy Boy Records, decided to drop him. Unfazed, Paris put the album out independently to a hail of praise, as well as ridicule. No matter what people called him or labeled his works, his skills on the mic, with articulate lyrics and incredible flow, could not be questioned. Two more independently released albums, a brief hiatus, and a little more than a decade later Paris drops Sonic Jihad, an even more relentless lyrical assault than most of his previous efforts on the latest Bush in office, police and the brutality they perform, and the sorry state of today’s hip hop that seems to be filled with talk of money and sex.
Released independently on Paris’ own label Guerrilla Funk Recordings, Sonic Jihad features cover artwork that alone will cause a stir of controversy as it depicts an image of a plane aimed to crash into the White House. If that cover isn’t enough, his lyrics are uncompromising and pissed off, which goes along with his angered tone, and doesn’t show any sign of letting up on any of the tracks. To top it all off, Paris recruited the talents of other revolutionary artists such as Public Enemy and Dead Prez, to create a no holds barred feeling of urgency to the effort.
The first single, “What Would You Do?” is the most intense attack on President Bush of all the songs throughout the release. Over an incredible production which creates an eerie feeling in the listener, Paris spits rhymes that describe his views on the real masterminds behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks in saying for the record he believes the Bush Administration orchestrated the events. But he doesn’t stop there. He also claims that all the terror alerts are made whenever approval rates are slumping to create a feeling in the American people that Bush is needed in office.
Not one of the songs on the album ever wastes a line or even one word, as “P-dogg” uses every second of the LP to throw out his views and concerns about society today. Tracks such as “AWOL,” which tells a story in the first person about a young man going into the military with optimism, only to find pain, suffering, and degradation, and “Freedom (The Last Cell Remix),” which features Public Enemy and Dead Prez, are incredible songs which epitomize the overall militant feel of the whole album.
The controversy surrounding Paris in the past obviously has not fazed him in any way, as Sonic Jihad, if anything, is even more unrelenting and in your face than any of his previous efforts (although Sleeping With The Enemy is hard to beat in that department). There is nothing more that can be said about this release other than the fact that this is Hip Hop in its truest form. It’s an expression of views seeking to educate and unite the masses. Paris is the prototypical revolutionary artist, who uses his talents as an emcee to share his views and knowledge with anyone who will listen, whether they agree with him or not. This album is just what Hip Hop needs right now to create more awareness and hopefully change the redundant feeling that seems to be plaguing the art form at the present time.
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