Immortal Technique, the most radical revolutionary rap lyricist to hit wax, combines with Green Lantern and a gang of like-minded MCs to produce THE 3RD WORLD, a furious mixtape which is perhaps Immortal Technique’s best work to date. The title track is a compelling summary of all the Harlem rapper has proclaimed in his past verses, as he reworks Jay-Z’s “Where I’m From” into a scathing diagnosis of the state of the world in the 21st century. Tech also breaks down the power structures behind NYC gentrification on “Harlem Renaissance,” deconstructs accepted understandings of “pimp” on “Reverse Pimpology,” and examines corporate privatization on “Open Your Eyes.” Violent, angry, and unabashedly challenging, THE 3RD WORLD is everything hardcore hip-hop should be.
