The art of storytelling and vivid lyrics are a lost art among many of today’s artists. Those who can remember the period in hip-hop when the culture still had some grit have been longing for that for some grimy shit.

With his latest release, Return of the Darkman, LA the Darkman has delivered a gem for those who remember when everyone in your video had on Hoodies’n’Tims. The combination of gritty street stories and production that is more reminiscent of the 90’s era than today’s super synthesized music makes for a unique mixtape. LA delivers tales from a hustler, but gets more in-depth about the perils and pitfalls the game has to offer. It’s no coincidence that he is a long time Wu-Tang affiliate and currently is president of Aphilliates Music Group headed by DJ Drama. “1000 Grams,” “Polluted Wisdom,” and “Respect Made Men,” are a few of the songs that define the overall theme of the cd. LA’s knack for telling an intricate story is illustrated in “Donnie Brasco” and “NY, NY.” LA also has a number of collabos to accent the CD, where he calls upon Method Man (Safe Box), Kool G Rap (Alleyway Hustlers) and his real life younger brother, who is under his wing at AMG – Willie the Kid (Soldier, When the Money Comes).

To put it best in his words, “I’m the black Stephen King, I tell my horrors through a pen/Every song on my album tell who, what & when.” Nuff Said.