Press Release:
The Last Emperor made his name on the Lyricists Lounge albums, an series of albums dedicated to hip-hop heads connected with the underground. He wasn't a prominent feature on these albums, hence there wasn't a whole lot of hype for his debut album. Working against Last Emp even more, he couldn't even get it out on Rawkus, where it'd have moved more units; he had to go with a very cheap label to publish and distribute his music for him. By the time Music, Magic, Myth was released, not only was it scarce in any store, but even some of the most dedicated hip-hop heads had no idea who this cat was.

Last Emp showed his brilliance on the Secret Wars saga, which can be found on the bonus disc of this album. The chosen few who did know this cat's skills were anxious to hear how well he'd do on a solo album; and thus, this masterpiece was given to us. But are there even more than a thousand people out there who've heard this album? It'd shock me. I'm shocked to see this album has the sixteen reviews it does on it, and also very pleased that this album, at the very least, reached some heads; because anyone who is a fan of hip-hop deserves to own this album.

It's musical perfection; from start to finish, nearly cracking in at an hour long, Last Emp doesn't let up. He is the most passionate emcee I've ever heard on the mic; if you thought Shakur's delivery was powerful, you haven't heard anything yet. His lyrics are leagues above most cats in the game, including some of the most revered lyricists; on a straight-up lyrics tip, I'd only put him behind Immortal Technique and the GZA. The thing is, unlike the aforementioned CD, who are politically charged(Tech), or throwing poisonous darts(GZA), Last Emp is the soft-spoken poet who spills his heart out onto his music. He drops knowledge, science, mathematics, whatever you want to call it, all over this release. He has the vocabulary of a college professor, and the heart of a warrior.

There are so many powerful cuts on here, it's hard to single any out; but tracks seven and eight are my absolute favorites. Track seven is One Life featuring the late Too Poetic; who was literally dying as he recorded this song. Too Poetic's words are enough to bring a tear to the eyes of even the most stubborn individual, as he retells the phsyical pain he's suffering with his intricate storytelling. Despite nothing being able to top Poetic's verse, Emp's is powerful in its own right, as he questions religion, and life after death like no other emcee can in his verse. Track eight is Meditate, and it's spine-tingling; the Buddhist monk hymms in the background create a very atmospheric piece of production, and Last Emperor drops verse after verse of dopeness.

The Last Emperor's debut(and unfortunately, only album at this point) is just as important as the Illmatics, Ready To Dies, and Reasonable Doubts of this world. If you can find this, do yourself a huge favor, and pick it up; i promise you won't regret it.

Released: August 26, 2003

Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Whos That?
3. Some Love, Some Hate
4. Tiger Trail
5. Prisoner
6. Karma
7. Meditation
8. Animalsitics
9. The Underground
10. The Block Party feat. Cocoa Brovaz
11. Do You Care?
12. Shine
13. The Incredible Man
14. Lets Ride
15. Hold On
16. Single Mother
17. The Great Pretender

Review:
Beats and lyrics!?....An easy 4.8 yellow babies out of 5!

Tracks Below: