Amir Sulaiman

The tricky reality in releasing a spoken word full-length is that, in a genre so predicated on dropping profound science with every verse, the possibility of being completely undone by puffed up statements of little actual substance can quickly become a record-sinking minefield. Oakland-based poet Amir Sulaiman traverses that death space gingerly on his latest disc, Like A Thief In The Night, mixing blistering diatribes about American social ills with more personal tales of love, relationships and simply trying to get over. Sulaiman’s attempt to kick things off with weighted fury on "Change Gonna Come” and the record’s title track tends to take away from the thought-provoking meat of his verses, an error he eventually corrects following the guest spot by Last Poet Abi Odun on "We Are The Revolution.” The remainder of the disc is filled with a generally smoothed-out musical vibe that adds just the right balance, giving you something to nod you head to while Sulaiman’s endless insights flow through your ears. (Uprising)