Eastern Conference Records has a true gem on their hands, as only two words can describe Akinyele’s Music Killz – fashionably late. Comprised of a collection of recordings completed between 1990 and 1994, Akinyele (along with a worthy group of producers ranging from Large Professor to J-Zone) delivers a solid release that, unfortunately, has been kept unheard from hip-hoppers for too long. Armed with wicked lyrics released with a rare youthful hunger, Akinyele breezes through twenty tracks of pure New York adrenaline with nary a trace of the present-day sexually charged Akinyele Adams.

     The album picks up long before Akinyele hit mainstream success with “Put It In Your Mouth,” and around the time he and Nas joined Main Source to create “Live At The Barbecue,” a record that launched Nas but left Ak without an Illmatic of his own. Music Killz, while no Illmatic, is Ak’s time to shine with an album that touches on spotty perfection with exceptional efforts on both lyrics and production.

     Sounding like a combination of Billy Danze (M.O.P.) and Ol’ Dirty Bastard on Ritalin, Akinyele’s fiery lyrics captivate without overdoing it with nonsense or scaring away with too much anger. Songs like “Enter” (produced by Doctor Butcher) feature low-key production and simple percussions with Ak spitting, “I stay seven days ahead of ya, ’cause I’m far from weak” and “You can’t see me like if your eyes were closed.” Simple lyrics but ill, lest anyone forget that these were probably written over a decade ago, which becomes the motto of the entire album. “Yo” (produced by Bucwild), “In the World” (produced by Large Professor), and “Akafella,” which is particularly interesting with its title, all carry that vintage vibe that so many hip-hop enthusiasts admire about early-1990s hip-hop music.

     Despite this tone, Akinyele is not phased by the challenge of throwing brand-new tracks onto his Music Killz collection, a decision that ends up carrying this release. Adding J-Zone production to both “Ak-nel the Great” and “In the Zone” creates the two stand-out tracks of the album with the latter being one of the best underground records of 2004 thus far. J-Zone and Akinyele should both consider doing future work together as their chemistry works well and their affections for sex rhymes (though absent in each of these 2 tracks) would probably enhance both rappers’ entertainment value on the topic.

    Despite the success of most of Ak’s old school to new school conversions, several tracks do not age well, as both the original and remix versions of “Break A Bitch Neck” sound simply outdated probably due to the below-average quality on the master copies. And by the end of the album, “Fly Away” and “Off the Hook” both serve as less exciting attempts by Ak at capturing the same essence as previously on the album. The Rob Swift performances, which give the album a party or concert-vibe, are also hit-or-miss, as they will attract those interested in DJ scratching and live performances but serve as skip-button tracks for those not interested in being hyped up at the moment.

    Akinyele, who may forever be remembered as Mr. “Put It In Your Mouth,” presents a quality collection that will shove timeless lyrics and production into your head, not down your throat. Most hip-hop fans remember the first time they heard the aforementioned Illmatic or Ready to Die by Biggie. Music Killz reaffirms that Ak may have once held the potential to do the same. Unfortunately for him (and for hip-hop, in general), he instead chose to be fashionably late….