It is like walking into a shadowy room where the air is thick with unspoken truth and this is what it is like to listen to It Was Written. Black Silver is an older pioneer in the more ecstatic soul of hip-hop, creating a sound that is spooky, sincere and subdued. The track was produced by his long-time partner DJ Obi and flows like a late-night ride down the familiar city streets the ones that seem to go on and on and be alive. That old-school boom-bap heartbeat is being pounded in by the drums, the bassline is pounding low and steady, and the air is swirling around you, half memory and half momentum. Minor details are flashing at the sides, and it gives the entire piece a futuristic sparkle that makes the entire thing feel both personal and prophetic like you are peeking at destiny as it forms.
The voice of Black Silver comes into the mix with full authority seasoned, reflective, and still raw enough to make you pay more attention. His performance is relaxed and evokes the self-assurance of a person who has lived through each of the bars he is singing. He dashes in and out, one moment he is whispering as a man in thought, the next he is preaching the truth like a preacher. All beneath it is a silent philosophy - a feeling of endurance and mission, which comes too near home. You can feel the burden of his path, starting with The Analog Brothers, to Black Ice with Ice-T and even the seriousness of his leadership in the sterling world records where polish and passion are interwoven. Each note is meaningful and created so that the story can breathe and move at its own pace.
I listened to the song when I was walking in the rain one evening, and it struck me even differently. The world had become softer and quieter - and the music had settled that space to thought. It evokes something personal: the recollection of the battles that make you wiser and silent, too. It is not just any other rap song, it is evolution itself, a preview to An Evolved Experience that will bring even more truth and depth to it.
His energy of coming back can be felt--brightened on the road with such legends as Kool Keith and Ras Kass, sharpened on the dozens of shows that rekindled his passion. It Was Written is not a song it is easy to listen to once; it develops with each listen, providing a different meaning every time. It is a balance between the thought and the rhythm, soul and sound. This is necessary to those who want hip-hop that strikes the mind and the heart. Black Silver does not simply rap here, he writes wisdom in rhythm, and you are transformed, a little better prepared to take your own road.
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