Flash Back : Dark Net Story The Anonymous Rap Album
With all of the current headlines in the news about the generational rap battle that is currently taking place with superstar rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake, while going over each party's diss track, I was reminded of a time when a crypto swap admin, Ugu, dropped an album on the darknet. As somebody who knows hip-hop started in the Bronx, NYC, in the Soundview projects and followed it my whole life, it was interesting to me to hear what this would sound like coming from some other part of the world that I wouldn't know where. But before we get into the album, let's talk about Ugu and Kilos.
Kilos emerged as a prominent player in the crypto mixing scene, distinguished not only by its efficient service but also by its captivating captcha challenges, setting it apart from competitors. Operating an IRC channel on its platform further fostered a sense of community among its users. The introduction of KAAML (Kilos Anti Anti Money Laundering) demonstrated their commitment to providing a secure environment for transactions, ensuring that participants in the KSwap system received legitimate, untainted coins in exchange for their deposits. Under the helm of ugu, known colloquially as a crypto kingpin, whose diverse talents spanned socialism and music production, Kilos thrived. However, this success was short-lived as it abruptly exited the market, leaving users bewildered and disillusioned sometime thereafter, marking yet another chapter in the volatile world of cryptocurrency.
The new concept album entitled "Darknet Story" was been released to the public on July 14th 2021. Comprising 12 tracks and 2 poems, the album takes listeners on a journey through the intricate phases of the darknet market life cycle. Offering insights into various players within the scene, each track delves into a different aspect of this underground world. Notably, the album features two compelling poems, one of which is voiced by a figure known for her presence on Kilos. While the creative vision and funding for the project originated from a central figure, credit for artist coordination, music production, and website design is attributed to /u/ashad201X. Despite their preference for anonymity, the artists behind the music deserve recognition for their dedication and contributions to the project.
The album song list
- noob-master
- New world
- Bitcoins
- Dread Pirate Roberts
- Alpha02
- Darknet.edu
- BUSINESS MAN
- Market owner
- Fucking Rich
- Everyman For Hime Self
- Run-Run
- Page Not Found
After about three blunts and a few drinks, I finally managed to listen to the whole thing. The vibes were kinda all over the place, and the beats were very Euro-ish EDM/techno type beats. I also didn't find it to have any really good bars, no real clever punchlines or hooks. I found the lyrics to be really mediocre, and track number five really did ALPHA02 bad in my eyes. I will say the engineering and mixing are done very well. At the end of the day, they had balls putting this up for people to judge the work. If a darknet hip-hop scene ever breaks out or becomes a thing, you can definitely point to this as the very first in the darknet hip-hop genre. With the Kilos exit scam and the website down, I highly doubt we are going to get a second album.
You can listen to the album here
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