Kottonmouth Kings- Krown Power

The Kottonmouth Kings have had their fair share of controversy over their lifetime. They have overcome members of the group passing, members of the group leaving, and even completely severing ties with their long time label, Subnoize Records. They have been advocates for legalization of marijuana and the pot movement and have never shied away from that. Fans have been eagerly waiting for the release of Krown Power since its announcement in early 2014. A year and a half later the Kings give the fans Krown Power. How does this measure up against their past efforts and where will they go from here? Track listing

1. Our City
2. Kronitron
3. Audio War
4. Permastone
5. Pump Up Da Bass Ft Marlon Asher
6. Keep Movin Ft Jahred of HED p.e.
7. Sink or Swim
8. Fill Your Cup Ft Judge D
9. Don’t Feel Down Ft Marlon Asher
10. TBH Ft C4Mula
11. Fuck Off Ft ICP
12. Dope Thang
13. Ganja Glow Ft Marlon Asher
14. Good Time Zone Ft Dogboy
15. Crack the Frame Ft Chucky Chuck
16. Life in the Kingdom
17. Mary Jane
18. Time Ft Saint Dog

  Track list and ratings 1. Our City- A smooth hard hitting beat backed with good bongos. The verses flow well and are well produced. The hook is solid and well composed. A nice track to lead the album off. 4/5 2. Kronitron- A very bass heavy beat bangs behind this track. The lead off verse is quick and nicely put over the heavy beat. The speedy flow in the verses gives way to a much slower and very much KMK sounding hook. The rest of the verses are slower but it works 4.3/5 3. Audio War- This track has a very old school sound to it. The bass hits hard and works well with the hook. The verses are aggressive and flow nicely in the track. This is basically a track calling artists out for an audio war. 3.8/5 4. Permastone- A much more simple beat backs this track. This song is reminiscent of many other KMK releases. The verses flow very well and the production here in top notch. 3.8/5 5. Pump Up Da Bass Ft Marlon Asher- The beat in this one is very Rastafarian. A nice smooth flow over the beat makes this a chill positive energy track. It sounds like a follow up to their track My Garden. This track will definitely appeal to their old school fan base. 4.2/5 6. Keep Movin Ft Jahred of HED p.e.- The beat here is once again bass heavy but with a heavy electronic vibe. Jahred adds his own feel to this track. The hook is brought in by Jahred and it is heavy but it works. The combination of Jahred and KMK is always a good one and it is no different here. Nice to see this team up again. 4.5/5 7. Sink or Swim- This track starts very similar to Rampage in its composition but gives way to a beat that is very similar to Make It Rain. The beat returns to Rampage for the hook. KMK is one of the few groups to pull this style off and have it work. 3.6/5 8. Fill Your Cup Ft Judge D- This track is a definite party anthem. The beat is simple and easy bob your head to. The hook is also very simple and that is needed in a track like this. 4.3/5 9. Don’t Feel Down Ft Marlon Asher- This beat takes the listener back to the islands. It is a track that pushes a positive message. The track itself leaves a lot to be desired. The vocals are drown out a majority of the time by the backing music being too high. 3/5 10. TBH Ft C4Mula- A very electronic heavy beat in this one. The vocals are once again set too low and that hurts the enjoyment here. The hook is simple and the verses work alright. 3.2/5 11. Fuck Off Ft ICP- A much simpler beat backs this track. Shaggy starts the track off and gives a solid verse. Violent J gives the third verse and it is alright. There is a lot of time this seems like a follow up to Shaggy 2 Dope’s Fuck the fuck off. The track is solid overall. 3.8/5 12. Dope Thang- A simple very beat heavy track here. The beat is almost too busy. The verses are well written and performed over the beat. The hook is easy to get down with. 3.5/5 13. Ganja Glow Ft Marlon Asher- Once again we get Marlon Asher and that island flow. This track is the best of the three featuring him. The lyrics in the verses are not anything new for KMK but it works with this sound. 4.5/5 14. Good Time Zone Ft Dogboy- This is a track to get lifted to without a doubt. It has that Rasta vibe but with a little more edge. The verses are all very solid and make this track a difficult one not to bump. 4.3/5 15. Crack the Frame Ft Chucky Chuck- The beat here is very hard hitting and makes the verses shine. The verses talk about them leaving old “chains” behind and moving forward. 4/5 16. Life in the Kingdom- Another very simple beat. This track pushes keeping positive things in the “Kingdom” and how difficult that is. The hook is good but doesn’t really stand out. 3.5/5 17. Mary Jane- This track is a mix of solid bass beat and a more island sound. As the title suggests it is 100% about Mary Jane. The flow works well and the sound is mellow. 3.5/5 18. Time Ft Saint Dog- This track is seriously stripped down and has a nice little guitar riff backing it. The verses have a good message behind them. They speak of time and how regardless of what happens we can move past it. A good solid track to end the album. 4.3/5   Overall Rating: 3.89/5   Conclusion: After a three year absence the Kings return with thier latest effort. The album itself is a good hybrid of styles and sounds which shows the diversity of the group nicely. Despite the upheaval in the KMK camp over the past few years this album shows they can still produce solid music for their fan base. It is a good solid debut release for United Family Music.