A Piece of Strange
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A Piece of Strange is the third release from the CunninLynguists. It was released January 24, 2006 worldwide.
Album information
The album, which features Cee-Lo Green, Immortal Technique and Tonedeff, is a concept album that "follows the story of a man and those closest to him in their struggles with right and wrong, love and hate, faith and sin," according to the cover insert.
The album's cover is a reference to the story of Adam & Eve from the Bible. It can also be interpreted as Mary Jane, a personification of cannabis. The album received positive reviews in XXL, Vibe, Scratch Magazine and URB.
The QN5 and LA Underground release is produced exclusively by Kno; newcomer Natti of Kynfolk joins Deacon The Villian to provide the majority of vocals. Natti replaces Mr. SOS, who was only part of the group during their second album, Southernunderground.
A Piece of Strange is currently ranked as the top hip-hop release of 2005 on RateYourMusic.com and the #10 album of the year in any genre.[1]
Track listing
- "Where Will You Be?"
- "Since When"
- "Nothing to Give"
- "Caved In" (featuring Cee-Lo)
- "Hourglass"
- "Beautiful Girl"
- "Inhale (Interlude)"
- "Brain Cell"
- "America Loves Gangsters" (featuring Tim Means)
- "Never Know Why" (featuring Immortal Technique)
- "The Gates" (featuring Tonedeff)
- "Damnation (Interlude)"
- "Hellfire"
- "Remember Me (Abstract/Reality)"
- "What'll You Do?"
- "The Light" (featuring Club Dub)
Samples Used
- "Inhale (Interlude)"
- "Sucka Nigga" by A Tribe Called Quest (from the 1993 album Midnight Marauders)
- "Brain Cell"
- "C.R.E.A.M." by Wu-Tang Clan (from the 1993 album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers))
- "America Loves Gangsters"
- Interpolations of "Gangsta Gangsta" by N.W.A. (from the 1988 album Straight Outta Compton)
- "The Gates"
- "I Can't Write Left-Handed" by Bill Withers
- "Damnation"
- "God Bless Your Life" by Ill Biskits
- "Hellfire"
- "Affirmative Action" by Nas (from the 1996 album It Was Written)
Biblical References (numerical corresponding tracks)
- Unity; New beginnings
- Union; Division; Witnessing
- Divine completeness and perfection
- Creation; The world; Creative works
- Grace; God’s goodness; Pentateuch (first five books)
- Weakness of man; Manifestation of sin ; Evils of Satan
- Resurrection; Spiritual completeness; Fathers perfection
- New birth; New beginnings
- Fruit of the spirit; Divine completeness from the Father
- Testimony; Law and responsibility
- Disorder and judgment
- Governmental perfection
- Apostasy; depravity and rebellion
- Deliverance; Salvation
- Rest
- Love
Characters
-Deacon + Natti (Represent protagonist in first and third person mostly) - Lost soul who is trying to find "The Light" with friends involved in crime, etc. This main character is followed through love, lust, birth of a mixed race child and resolution of internal and external conflicts over the course of APOS’ 16 tracks.
-Tonedeff (Static Antagonist/Minor Antagonist next to “hate/sin”, representative of “hate/sin”)- Racist firefighter, father of protagonist’s love interest, grandfather of mixed race child. His wife was of mixed race, came to resent this after her death. Songs such as “Caved In” contain clues to why/how she died. Solemn, presented to St. Peter in his younger days/most pure point of adult life. One will notice Tonedeff’s approach to “The Gates” from a delivery standpoint has him speaking in an almost whispering tone, reflecting a being/soul that is freshly faced with being (possibly) deceased. As his conversation with St. Peter (Deacon) reaches a denouement, the character’s frustration builds and his true colors are shown. The result is damnation.
-Immortal Technique - Tone's character or subconscious immediately prior to death/death personification. Proud, hard headed, hateful.
-Mary Jane - Weed in general, but represents temptation away from love interest or shared temptation for both parties.
3/4 main characters represented by skulls on cover in a non-literal way…see: Vanitas - “Latin for vanity, refers to a type of still life consisting of a collection of objects that symbolize the brevity of human life and the transience of earthly pleasures and achievements (e.g., a human skull, a mirror, and broken pottery).”