Kuniva is a 42 year old MC from Detroit, Michigan who started as 1/2 of Da Brigade with dEnAuN. Both of whom would go on to join D12 with Proof, Bizarre, Swifty McVay & of course Eminem. They released 2 platinum studio albums together in the early 2000s but when the group’s leader Proof was murdered in 2006, everyone began focusing on their solo careers. Kuniva released a slew of mixtapes throughout this decade, but made his full-length debut in 2014 with A History of Violence. This was followed up with a sequel tape in 2016 & 3 years later, he’s back on the scene with his sophomore album.
After the intro, we go into the title track. Where Kuniva talks about how real he is over a vicious instrumental. The next song “The Real” pays tribute to those who’ve remained in his circle over a mellow instrumental while the track “Boss Down” is filled with angry battle bars over a nocturnal trap beat from Nick Speed. The song “Shine” talks about maintaining successful over an instrumental with some subdued background vocals & a guitar popping in occasionally while the track “G.T.F.B. (Get The Fuck Back)” with 7 the General sees the 2 vividly describe someone trying to carjack them over an ominous beat.
The song “Weaponized” of course is laced with that gun talk over a killer rock sample while the track “Blue Note Lounge” with Fatt Father sees the 2 reclaiming their prowesses over a luscious instrumental. The song “Waldorf” talks about how fly he is & his competition being talentless over an eerie boom bap beat while the track “Victim” is an awkward auto-tune ballad with a buttery instrumental.
The song “Livin’ My Life” with Rod Dae needs no further explanation over a slick instrumental while the track “I Love Ya” pays tribute to hip hop over a punchy instrumental with some beautiful keys. The penultimate track “Red Hots & Faygo” talks about people who always have a problem with him over the same sample that RZA used for “Let My N****s Live” off of the Wu-Tang Clan’s 3rd album The W back in 2000 & then the album ends with “D.O.N.S. (Day One N****S)”, which of course pays tribute to his close homies over an atmospheric beat.
If y’all are looking for an O.G. in the Detroit hip hop scene getting back on his grind, then please give this a listen because I’ve always looked at Kuniva as an underrated link of the D12 crew. Some of the hooks could’ve been better to me but for the most part: this thing has well incorporated features, great production & Kuniva’s pen game remains deadly.
Score: 3.5/5
Legends Will Never Die 