Wut Metaphysical

What the heck is a metaphysical poet? That's what I asked myself when I first got this album in the mail. After some
research, I found out that metaphysical poets were a band of 17th Century poets who wrote to spark rational and
intellectual celebration. Their poems were elaborate in style using fantastic wordplay and paradoxical imagery. Once I
knew what a metaphysical poet was, I could then understand why this emcee by the name of Wut Metaphysical was
giving his album the title Last of the Metaphysical Poets. His style of rhyming and song concepts are in the same style as
the metaphysical poets of old.
With that understanding in mind, we can now start to delve into this project from Wut Metaphysical. Being a member of
Dirt's Shadow of the Locust, you already come into this knowing that the music is going to be abstract in nature and also
be a bit dark. Looking at the track list, you quickly see that this is exactly what you're getting with Last of the
Metaphysical Poets. I mean, with track titles like "Hand Me My Gun," "Fight Club" and "Evil Did I Dwell, Lewd I Did Live"
you get the feeling that this isn't your average run of the mill hip-hop album. But enough looking at the surface, let's talk
about the music.

With the name of this album being Last of the Metaphysical Poets, it would only be right to look at Wut's lyricism first. In
regards to that aspect, Wut is a genious when it comes to lyricism. His stories and concepts are amazing and insanely
thought provoking. One of the first songs in which we can clearly see Wut's story telling abilities is on "A Bottle in the
Mississippi." This is a song that talks about the miraculous circumstances that surrounded his birth and the travail that his
parents had to endure. After hearing the song, it's a bit hard to believe but proves to be a testimony in how awesome
God is. Another one of his stories (this one fictional) is the song "The Brasilian Connection (Part II)" featuring Emcee
Noiz. I don't want to give away the plot, so all I'll say is that the story telling is superb, allowing me to visualize this song
in hi-definition.

Wut Metaphysical doesn't just stop with story telling. He also takes time to look inwardly at himself and social issues that
he faces. In true metaphysical poetry fashion, "Like the Phoenix" (featuring DropJaw) takes a paradoxical look at how
people contradict themselves, such as hippies who try to preserve trees but cut down people. To really make this song
stand out, Wut & DropJaw share obscure fantasies that make no sense, only to give you the point of the song inbetween
all of their nonsense. Another song worth pointing out for it's socially thought provoking rhymes is "Opt Red" featuring
Selenzie Q. This is a song where the two poets look at and compare the words "white" and "black" as racial stereotypes,
but then move towards how we need to be seeing the color "red" which represents the blood of Jesus and the same color
blood that runs through all of our veins. It is only with Jesus and ignoring skin color that we can truly come together. One
line that really stands out in the song is from Wut when he says something to the extent of "I know a white girl from
Egpyt, she's African-American."

Not to be forgotten in all of this is that Wut Metaphysical is a Christian emcee. Being well studied in the Scriptures and
having an intimate relationship with God is clearly show in tracks such as "I Hail Jahovah," "Apocalipse," and "Na
Missao." You also have to appreciate all of the guest emcees that made appearances on this project because they
helped to bring everything together and give it variety. The songs with guests that definitely set it off are, again, "Na
Missao" with Dirt, Pregador Luo, P. Kear and Grodash; as well as "Fight Club" featuring Emcee Noiz, OdDity, and
Alleyes Manifest. With each guest you get a wide variety of world culture and social backgrounds, which really brings
home what he was saying in "Opt Red."

As far as the production side of the album is concerned, it's your typical Shadow of the Locust type album. For the most
part, the beats are dark and very emo hip-hoppish. It's definitely something that is geared towards the underground hiphop
fan, which I have no problem with because I love being a backpacker. The majority of the production was handled by
Wut Metaphysical and Calmplex with Apocalipse 16 and others lending their hand as well. Overall, the production is solid
from start to finish.

If I were to sum this album up into three words it would be: dope abstract poetry. That's exactly what this is and Wut
Metaphysical proves that he is the Last of the Metaphysical Poets. Superb vocal skills and deep rhymes lay the canvas
for a project that leaves you wanting more and wondering where this emcee has been for all your life. I absolutely love
this album and urge you to pick it up! I've always loved Shadow of the Locust, and now I have a new reason why!
- Sphere of Hip Hop

A solid debut effort from one of the newest members of Shadow of the Locust family. Spiritually insightful lyrics abuse emotionally infectious beats as Wut proves himself to be as the album's title reflects, the 'Last of the Metaphysical Poets'. Key tracks include: Bottle in the Mississippi, Apocalipse, Defense of our Precedence, I Hail Jehovah, and Evil Did I Dwell/Lewd Did I Live. Never-the-less, you'll pick your own favorites as this project offers listeners plenty of diversity and even some international flavor to go around. Pick this CD up today! - Pinnacle Rhythms

Wut Metaphysical has a few standing offers. He'll rap-battle anyone, and he'll also discuss religion with anyone — so long as they stay calm. He says someone in Brazil once tried to kill him for his Christian beliefs, and that's just not cool. "We were in São Paulo doing homeless ministry and giving Bibles out and junk, when this crazy guy ran at us and started cursing God and Jesus' name," says the 24-year-old emcee, whose given name is Jake McDonnell. "Apparently he was Islamic and was not happy that we were teaching Christianity. He was ballistic, but all the homeless people we were helping made him go away."

McDonnell, who is also an English major at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and an insurance adjuster in Creve Coeur, gets as much grief for posting MySpace bulletins promoting pro-life rallies as for being a white rapper. But still, he pushes forward with the Christian rhymes he was born to spit.

Waxing theological today outside of Coffee Cartel in the Central West End, he wears a nose ring, a gray skullcap and a red DC Shoes T-shirt, which can't fully hide the crucifixion-scene tattoo that covers most of his chest. ("This is only half of it," he says. "There's also going to be an angel collecting the blood in a goblet.")

Brazil — or "the economic power of the future...always," as Yo!'s political-science professor used to call it — is near and dear to McDonnell's heart. He's spent about a year there on a few different trips, doing missionary work and touring with his "national" crew, Shadow of the Locust, which is largely based in San Diego. (His "local" crew, Dead Republic, consists of people such as Emcee Noiz, Alleyes Manifest, Dropjaw and Mattiburns.)

While in São Paulo last year, he recorded a song with Pregador Luo, who McDonnell calls the Jay-Z of Brazilian hip-hop. You can find the song, "Na Missao," on Wut's album, Last of the Metaphysical Poets, which was released in April and is for sale at Vintage Vinyl (6610 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-721-4096). Check Wut out on MySpace at www.myspace.com/wutmetaphysical. - Yo! RFT Raps

"Last of the Metaphysical Poets" is the long overdue debut disc from UM-St. Louis senior and resident wise guy Jacob McDonnell (a.k.a. Wut Metaphysical). UM-St. Louis students may recognize Wut as the gangly, loud, sometimes antagonistic, but always intelligent skateboard rogue somehow ubiquitously present in every English class.

On this release, his outspoken persona comes out full blast on a thumpy ride through many different variations on hip-hop, from Brazilian funk to DJ Premier-styled NYC hip-hop, back to old school, and forward into avant garde beats that eschew easy classification.

Lyrically, Wut operates with a vigilante's soul, making social commentary on a number of heated subjects, such as domestic violence, gang warfare, abortion, and child prostitution.

He deals with each in a heartfelt and brutally honest manner (as on cuts like "Empathy Was a Liar" and "Vestal"), but still manages to temper his treatments with certain grace and humanity (particularly on the bittersweet "Bottle In the Mississippi").

When not tackling more serious issues, Wut humorously reverts to more traditional hip-hop conventions such as dissing wack emcees, calling out fake thugs, and verbally lambasting disloyal girlfriends.

The album title makes a rather audacious claim, one that is fitting for hip-hop, a genre built on rap braggadocio and oneupmanship.

Though the quality of Wut's poetry may not be on par with the deathless beauty of Donne's verse, or the allegorical penchant of Herbert, he more than compensates for lack of mastery with a big, bold, pulsating heart for a world weathered by entropy-a heart that cannot be denied.

That is far more than what can be said for an overwhelming amount of rap artists celebrating nihilistic materialism and sexual objectification, far too readily received by non-reflective masses.

Wut, emergent emcee from the Shadow of the Locust Crew, is the genuine article; a drop of antidote working through an artform that has been plagued for far too long. - UMSL