No matter how rich New Zealand's hip-hop community becomes, King Kapisi remains their unchallenged regal. He may have pushed the platinum mark with the surprising debut Savage Thoughts but 2nd Round Testament is a clear evolution and therefore the King should have no problem building on his glowing reputation. It's interesting to hear the difference between Kiwi and Aussie hip hop, with the latter shunning commerciality while folks across the Tasman don't mind making it slicker than Rick, a fact that is evident as soon as Che Fu joins his old mate on U Can't Resist Us, the current single. The King has no problem with injecting his fantasia sounds with thick slabs of soul and buttery R&B; slips easily into the mix, providing a stark paradox when compared to the husky baritone rhymes of Kapisi. 2nd Round Testament, with songs like Overdue, beats the yanks at their own game and provides low-rider-powered, rolling beats that could easily find a home on the sun burnt strips of L.A. Stomping lives up to it's name and quickly marks its territory, becoming an instant favourite with it's fat, buzzing bass while Illa Than You proves that new Zealanders can't help adding a little ragga/dub influence; with so many kids being weaned on reggae, NZ is like a far outpost of Jamaica (check out Problems for proof). As for Kapisi's style as a vocalist, his rushed flow of stumbling syllables unnerves but challenges the listener. It never gets too self-indulgent - the man knows the limits and gently pushes them - but he provides a few sparks of brilliance whenever he decides to get cryptic. Quite simply, it's hardly underground but definitely skilled and this reviewer thinks the King definitely has his sites on the majority rather than the minority. If that's true, 2nd Round Testament proves that King Kapisi's aim is true.

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Tracklisting
1 Massacre Mics
2 Conversate
3 Elemental Forces
4 World Premiere
5 Sound System
6 U Can't Resist Us
7 Overdue
8 Back2Basiks
9 Stomping
10 Illa Than You
11 Problems
12 Greener Pastures

Full listing of KING KAPISI releases